Bloody Shadows

by Bernard Lee DeLeo

  “We’ll be watching the news then, Nick. Grace and I will push for the move immediately after the news gets out, and I’ll let you know exact time and date.”

  “Good enough. Talk to you then.” Nick disconnected. “Well Gus, did you enjoy today’s action? I figured you didn’t walk Deke with me because you wanted to hold my hand.”

  “That was insanely good luck, Muerto. I really did want to get some air. You pulled off the hit exactly as you planned, and even managed a janitorial problem postponing the discovery of Wargul’s body.”

  “But… I feel a but coming.”

  “Why not let it end without taking a chance on getting Sadun? You’ve eliminated the go between. Sadun doesn’t have anyone to spread his poison to.”

  “True, but I don’t take those kinds of chances, Gus. Sadun would eventually replace Wargul with another traitor. He has the outside money and means.”

  “I wanted to make sure I pointed out an option I thought was better than the snatch and grab outside the prison.”

  “Acknowledged, Payaso.”

  “Here.” Gus handed Nick his flask. “It’s full.”

  “God bless you, Sir!” Nick took the flask, and downed a large gulp. “Man… that hit the spot. You were reading my mind. I was already sorry I didn’t throw one down before we left.”

  “What you did to the coworker was a cold piece of work.”

  “It will be a bit of an embarrassment, but also a life lesson for the woman. Adultery is not a victimless crime.”

  “Madre de Dios!”

  Chapter Eight

  Attempted Bombing

  Returning from the walk, Gus related some ideas of when they could empty their body freezer at the Carmel Valley house. Nick grabbed his arm suddenly, making shushing sounds. He drew Gus down the hill slightly, and into the darkness cast by the trees lining the property owner’s lawn. Deke sat at the nearest tree, watching the two men with him curiously.

  “There are two guys in black fooling around my house. Can you stay here with Deke while I go collect them for the cops?”

  “Are you sure about this, Muerto,” Gus asked while taking Deke’s leash. “We can call the cops on them.”

  “I have my stiletto, stun-gun, pepper spray, and my Colt. I have a damn good idea who these two are, and I have dibs on them before the cops.”

  “The flag guy, right?”

  “Yep. I’m betting it’s Rashidi, and his dimwit brother. I’ve been wondering why I haven’t been contacted by the DA or someone. The DA’s office probably wants to treat this as a catch and release deal. The brothers think I’m home. I’m not sure about their plan, but they disabled my motion sensor lights. Where they are right now, it should look like daylight. I’ll call you when I get a conference with my banditos.”

  “Please don’t get killed, Muerto.”

  “Okay, but only because you asked nicely.”

  * * *

  “Quickly, Akim,” Habib Rashidi whispered. “Attach it right here under the eave.”

  Akim Rashidi did as his brother ordered. “Do we really need to attach two more, brother?”

  “Yes.” Habib handed Akim one of the remaining charges. “Attach this at the back corner where I showed you on the house plan. I will put the final charge on the other side of his house.”

  “Very well. I will meet you at the front when I am through.” Akim stayed near the house, stopping every few moments to listen for any noise out of the ordinary. He heard nothing. As he attached the explosive charge to the ash-block base at the left rear corner of the house, Akim heard a sharp electrical crackling noise. The pain in his back proved excruciating enough to cause Akim to momentarily blackout. When his eyes fluttered open, Akim saw Nick smiling at him a moment before Nick pressed the electrodes against Akim’s neck for an extended period.

  On the other side of the house, Habib heard the crackling noise. He hurriedly set the charge on his side of the house before he heard yet another crackling sound. Making sure of his charge’s attachment with a tug, he set the charge, and went to join his brother. Habib hurried around the picket fence on the corner house’s front boundary, only to jam against the electrodes of Nick’s stun-gun. Habib dropped as if struck by a baseball bat in the head. After an indeterminable time, Habib regained his wits, trying to move his hands, but they were restrained at his back, along with his ankles.

  “Hello, Habib,” the dark form Habib squinted at patted his cheek. “I’ve already called the police. They’ll be here shortly to collect you, your brother, and your bombs. While we’re bonding, I’m going to teach you something about me to take with you to prison.”

  In the next instant, Habib heard the stun-gun discharge a split second before the worst pain he had ever felt lanced through his groin. It was so bad, the only sound that emerged from Habib sounded like a tea kettle on the boil. The discharges continued at short intervals, where he did not pass out, but stayed in a constant state of unimaginable pain. Sirens in the distance ended the torturous regimen. Habib was dragged to the front of the house with his brother.

  * * *

  Nick found the cell-phone detonator in Habib’s bag, but left it untouched. Rachel and Jean were in the safe-room upstairs where he had told them to go. The safe-room was bomb proof, and although he had inspected the bombs they had planted, he made sure if there were a mistake, Rachel and Jean would not pay for it with their lives. Gus joined him with Deke a moment before a squad car with Sergeant Dickerson arrived.

  Dickerson and his partner, Trina Helmgrin walked carefully with hands on the butts of their weapons. “Jesus, Nick, what the hell happened now?”

  “Did you request the bomb squad like I told you?”

  “Yes. They’re in route from Monterey. These guys actually planted bombs on your house?”

  “I’ll show them to you. I caught them in the act. Gus and I were walking Deke. When we returned, the Rashidi brothers were attaching bombs to my house. I stun-gunned them, and called inside to my wife Rachel to take Jean into our safe-room. The bombs are activated by a cell-phone detonator inside Habib’s bag. It’s still turned off, but I waited for you and the bomb squad.”

  “He…he tortured us,” Habib croaked. “He…”

  “Shut your mouth!” Dickerson squatted down to look into Habib’s eyes. “I don’t know how the DA ever let you two jackasses out on the streets again, but I can tell you this, you and your brother won’t be seeing the outside of a cell for the good part of your lives. Listen closely while I read you your rights again.”

  When Dickerson finished, he and his partner cut the restraints off, and handcuffed the Rashidi brothers. Once they were in the rear of Dickerson’s squad car, Nick showed him the bomb placements while Dickerson filmed it. Nick noticed how nervous Officer Helmgrin was when they returned to the house front.

  “The detonator is off,” Nick explained. “We can wait on the street for the bomb squad. It wouldn’t do any good though. There’s enough C4 in those charges to wipe out everything in a hundred yard radius.”

  “Did they say anything at all about this?”

  “I didn’t ask, Neil. Would you like me to interrogate them for you?”

  “Uh… no, but thanks for the offer. What was Habib mumbling about torture?”

  “Well… I didn’t find them attaching bombs onto my house structure, and then decide to let bygones be bygones. I disabled the Rashidi boys. I did so with a stun-gun, and I toasted them until they stopped moving. Then I restrained them. I had every right to shoot them both in the head, but I didn’t.”

  “No argument there. I’m really sorry about these two getting out with no warning. When you told me on the phone who you were holding captive, I couldn’t believe it. There’s no way the DA should have turned them loose before they were arraigned.”

  “Don’t beat yourself up over it. They would have done this sooner or later, and you can bet this isn’t the first time they’ve done something like this. I’m damn lucky we walked Deke tonight or hal
f my neighborhood would be gone.”

  The bomb squad arrived minutes later. Dickerson handled everything from then on, with Nick joining Gus and Deke across the street, and out of the way.

  “We could have found room for those two in the Valley, Muerto. I’m frankly shocked you didn’t gut them.”

  Nick took a deep breath before speaking. “I thought about it, but as I told you before, we have too many things going on right now. The Rashidi boys will be on my radar from now on, along with their families. I didn’t see anything like this coming. The most that would have happened to them for the stalking business is some jail time. They were cocky enough to believe they could blow a city block to hell, and get away with it. When they get out, they die. I would imagine they’ll be in prison so long I may die first though.”

  “I believe you’ve overestimated our justice system, Muerto. Instead of being transferred to Gitmo, they’ll probably get a fine.”

  “You’re right, but either way, I’ll take care of them. I’m going to get my lawyer to find out what kind of deal could possibly have been done to let them out without informing me.”

  “You have a lawyer?”

  “Sure, I have a lawyer. He’s dedicated to me too. His names Justin Khole. I normally don’t leave my personal business in the hands of police and our court system. I’ve used Justin only for mundane law issues like copyright hassles, and property problems. He has people to handle every kind of law problem from estate law to criminal law. He handles the high profile criminal cases.”

  “I’ll bite. How did this gentleman lawyer find his way onto your tab?”

  “He defended the wrong criminal.”

  “Out with it, Muerto. Don’t short shrift me on the story.”

  “It will have to wait for the beach tomorrow, Payaso. Here comes Neil. I need to go inside, comfort the girls, and get some sleep. Thanks for doing duty all day on the monitors.”

  Gus handed Nick Deke’s leash. “It was a classic. That’s for sure. Are we sippin’ the Irish tomorrow?”

  “Bring it, and I’ll let you know when I get a US Marshal update. I’ll bring the coffee. If you show for the school walk, I’ll tell you the Lawyer Khole story on the way.”

  “If I’m not here by the regular walk time, take off. It will mean I’m in Tina’s doghouse, and I’ll be trying to make it up to her.”

  “Understood. See you tomorrow.” Nick watched Gus give Neil a quick wave on the way by. Nick walked forward to meet Neil. “How’s it going, Officer Dickerson?”

  Dickerson showed a pained expression. “I know you’re upset about not being informed when those two terrorists were turned loose, but there’s not much I can do now but apologize.”

  “That’s okay. I was telling Gus I’m going to have a lawyer friend of mine look into the reasons behind such an oversight. I’m wondering if I have an enemy in the DA’s office.”

  “In your position I’d be doing the same thing. Whatever asshole ordered their release without warning you could have gotten your family plus many in the surrounding houses killed. It can’t get swept away under the rug. Homeland Security agents have been notified. They will be here tomorrow morning. Speaking of families, you can rejoin yours now.”

  “Thanks, Neil. I’ll be on my routine tomorrow: walk Jean and Deke, write, and have coffee at the beach. My iPhone will be on if you need to talk with me.”

  “I’ll have to say, Nick, you don’t seem very upset about all this. These two terrorists… because that’s what they are, attached bombs to your house, and I haven’t even heard your voice raise in tenor.”

  “I’m screaming on the inside.”

  Dickerson chuckled, and shook his head. “Okay Nick, I’ll be in touch.”

  “One other thing before you go. Did you find that Formsby guy who offered me the ghostwriting gig?”

  “Nope. It turned out the CIA and FBI were doing a massive raid on Formsby’s holdings. He was dealing with terrorists, and I guess the raid was very successful. They believe he’s in hiding. It’s a good thing you didn’t get mixed into his business.”

  “That’s why I don’t do anything but fiction. Real life is a drag.”

  “If that Formsby ever does contact you though, string him along, and call the feds.”

  “Will do. Goodnight, Neil.”

  Nick did an in depth perimeter search just to be safe before going in the house and testing his alarm system. Only the motion detector lights outside weren’t working. After giving Deke water and food, Nick went to the upstairs safe-room and let himself in. Rachel and Jean were both sound asleep. He backed out quietly, thinking they must have the utmost trust in him to drop off to sleep with bombs attached to the house. Nick opened a beer on the deck, sat down with his laptop, and immersed himself in his assassin Diego’s new adventure. Deke joined him at his feet as his laptop warned him of the approaching third hour of the morning.

  “C’mon Deke. Let’s go to bed. It’s going to be the pits getting up for the school walk. You know how it is though when they attach bombs to your house, it takes a little time to relax. I wrote another thousand words though. I had my man Diego get into a beef with a mobster who reneged on a contract. Then the jerk threatened to blow Diego to hell. Guess what I did then, Deke?”

  Deke looked at Nick questioningly, his head tilted to be ready for a command. Nick gathered his laptop and walked toward the bedroom.

  “Diego went away laughing, Deke, and then he put a bomb in the mobster’s house first. I don’t know if I’ll leave the scene in the story, but I sure enjoyed writing it. All in all, my canine friend, that was one hell of a day.”

  * * *

  Nick patted Deke’s backside which was parked near his head on the bed. “The least you could do when taking Rachel’s place is put your head next to my face instead of your butt. I don’t mind if Rachel sleeps with her butt in my face, but you… no thanks.”

  Deke snorted.

  “Yes, I know it’s only six-thirty in the morning, but I have to shave and take a shower while riding herd on Jean to keep moving. You can stay here a while longer. I’ll be back to get you.”

  Deke glanced at Nick, and then flopped into place again. After quickly showering and dressing, Nick went to the safe-room. Jean didn’t budge when Nick jiggled her shoulder gently the first couple times. She groaned on the third shake, turning with squinting eyes toward Nick’s smiling face.

  “I don’t want to get up, Dad.”

  “Assassins do not sleep. They abide until morning.”

  “Really?” Jean rolled quickly out of bed. “That’s why we can’t ever beat you out of bed in the morning. It’s a Jedi mind trick, right?”

  “Yep. Assassins have inner clocks, which cannot be fooled. Fifteen minutes can be like a full night’s sleep to an assassin.”

  “Wow… okay… I’m awake, and ready,” Jean stalked around the room in her pajamas as if waiting for a ninja attack.

  “That’s the spirit. Get your shower, and I’ll have your breakfast ready. What would you like?”

  “I’ll pick out a cereal when I get down to the kitchen. You can make me some tea though. It’s okay if assassin’s get a caffeine jolt, right?”

  “Oh yeah, no rule prohibiting that.”

  “I’m hearing all of this ridiculous assassin talk,” Rachel mumbled. “You two do know that, right?”

  “You’re dreaming, Mom. We’re a figment of your imagination,” Jean whispered over the closed eyed Rachel. “It was just a dream… a dream.”

  “Get away from me, Daughter of Darkness.” Jean giggled, and ran out, headed for the shower. “How many dead, Muerto?”

  “None. I let the police and bomb squad have them. It was an instance where a case could be made for God looking out for fools and assassins.”

  “Or a combination of the two,” Rachel replied, sitting against the headboard.

  “Or that,” Nick admitted. “You know if I had seen that coming, it would never have come close to happening. Those two wou
ld have been in the freezer in the Valley. The flag confrontation, and the brothers trying to scare me later was one thing, but bombs on the house? I’ll have to live until I’m ninety to be around when those idiots get out. I’ll have to add the Rashidi family to our other enemy family combatants to be watched: the Naders.”

  Rachel covered his hand. “I know. Go make the Daughter of Darkness some tea, and I’ll be down in a few minutes.”

  “Remember though, you still owe me this.” Nick made his obscene pantomime, eliciting the hoped for gasp of fake revulsion.

  “Get out of here, Muerto.” Rachel covered her eyes. “You’re disgusting.”

  “You say that now. We’ll see.”

  “No… we won’t!”

  * * *

  Gus rang the doorbell as Nick kissed Rachel before walking out with Jean and Deke. “I didn’t think Payaso would make it this morning.”

  “Maybe after last night, you should drive over to the school.”

  Nick cupped Rachel’s chin while Jean answered the door, and hugged Gus. “I’m better if I don’t have a steering wheel in my hands. I don’t hesitate, and I have an open target range. We’ll be looking into this Rashidi angle for more than two pissed off jerks.”

  “I picked my course, and you’re in it, Muerto. I trust you, but I can’t help sneaking in a wifely warning or suggestion once in a while.”

  “They’re always welcome, partner. See you in a little bit. Would you like to go down to the beach today?”

  “I’d better. I’m getting too stiff fooling around only at the house. I’ll make some hot mulled wine for myself.”

  “It’s a date.”

  Outside, tendrils of ground fog clung to the road down the hill. A chilling sea breeze blew in from the ocean, and coupled with the overcast sky to make a gray scenic Pacific Grove morning. Jean skipped ahead with Deke, but stayed closer than her usual walk to school. Nick and Gus paid attention to every vehicle noise, or movement near the houses. It was a morning of heightened senses, and acknowledgement all was not quite right in El Muerto’s backyard. The men remained observant, but quiet until arriving safely at the school with Jean. Nick walked Jean to the classroom, noting he did not get any curious looks from the other parents. He rejoined Gus and Deke with only smiles and waves.