Cold Blooded III: Sins and Sanctions (Nick McCarty Assassin Series Book 3) (37 page)

“They don’t have your body count.”

* * *

The phone vibrated next to him as Nick woke from taking an afternoon nap before meeting Jean at school. Rachel worked at the Monte Café until 6 pm. Nick answered after checking caller ID, “Paul?”

“Are you finding time to sleep finally?”

“Somewhat.” Nick swung his legs around Deke who had been napping with him. “Deke and I are resting for our treacherous walk to meet Jean at school.”

“Not as treacherous since Dansing slipped away into never/never land.”

“True, but we soulless monsters must keep our eyes open for new danger. How did the investigation pan out?”

“Solidly for your suicide scene. After you put the locals into the mix finding the body, your records are being flagged by everyone. They get blocked, but I’m sure you’re aware this new notoriety will make it very difficult for you to operate in any clandestine way.”

“Says who? We abandoned the hermit author living his days out at the beach before you took over. I thought you liked this new paradigm.”

“I do,” Paul said. “The people funding us with an open ended budget believe you’re attracting the right attention with credit spreading over some media damaged agencies. Because I read in a couple at the top of this black ops hierarchy, they were with you during your entire use of our Company resources in taking down Dansing. They know it would have been illegal unless funneled through you. It was icing on the cake when a trial for Dansing became unnecessary thanks to you. We can absorb a couple of mistakes with the pluses you’ve built since going on your wonderful book tour. Bottom line is they trust the access I’ve given you.”

“So this was a pat on the back call?”

“Not exactly. John knew you were handling Dansing, so he’s been reporting in to me, and asking advice. His new friends pressured him into turning your Carmel Valley place into a Terrorist retreat. I didn’t want him killed before you and Gus could finish with Dansing. He’s been in touch often, and the situation has become more relaxed since John allowing access to your place.”

“That situation exploded faster than I figured. You did the right thing, as did John.” Nick heard the doorbell, and walked downstairs toward his entrance. “I’ll let John know he can loop me back into the mix. I’m not crazy about having that litter of skunks moving into my Valley retreat, but it will work to our advantage when we can possibly get this particular cell right where we want them.”

“Name the resources you’ll need when the time comes, Nick. I already have an enthusiastic go on the op if you can find a way to make your cartoon idea with El Muerto, Payaso, and El Kabong work. They loved the insult ploy to draw more cells into the open. Call me when you’re ready.”

“Will do.” Nick disconnected, peering through his wide angle door lens. It was a haggard looking Dan Lewis. Nick opened the door. “Hi Dan. You look like hell. Come in.”

Dan nodded without speaking, absently petting Deke as he danced around a familiar human. “Thanks Nick. I…I need your help. Do you have time for a coffee with me?”

“Right this way.” Nick led the old man into the kitchen, where he made two cups of coffee from the already brewed pot, fixing it as he knew Dan liked. He served it, while sitting down facing Dan. That the old man didn’t have his wife Carol with him sent a foreboding chill shooting through him. He refrained from speaking, allowing Dan to gather his thoughts. The tremor in Dan’s hands as he brought the coffee cup into sipping position whispered tragedy to Nick.

“Right after you left, Carol began having back pain on her left side with blood showing in her urine. After CT scans showed a tumor in her kidney, she was admitted for an eight day torture session in the hospital. Even with a morphine drip, epidural, and pain pills, she needed ice on her back. They put in a drain because her lung had lesions from the growing tumor which they attributed correctly to the cancer spreading. The nurses let me stay in her room the whole time. I figured they knew what was happening before the doctors were ready to spell it out. The biopsies showed the Renal Cell Carcinoma had spread throughout her system. Carol’s in stage four with Hospice nurses coming around to replenish her pain meds. They think because of the virulent way it attacked her system, the malignant cells have spread to her brain, because of her decreasing mobility. Every moment with her is precious right now. My son and daughter flew in to help me take care of their Mom.”

Nick waited as the old man’s lips trembled, trying to put an iron grip on his emotions. He didn’t bother trying to imagine Dan’s pain. The old couple were like surrogate parents to him for over a decade since he moved into Pacific Grove. After Carol had her knees replaced, she had been getting along better, without the pain. To have this strike her in so short a time brought on a blackness inside of him, Nick recognized as his only reaction to human emotion. The ache which threaded through him at the news was his only connection he could muster, even with people he cared about. It was as close to empathy Nick could get.

“She…she’d like to see you if possible, Nick. I haven’t told anyone about it except family. Carol hates seeing herself through our friends’ eyes. Joe came over from the Monte, delivering breakfast for us when he hadn’t seen us for a month. He was in tears when he left. I swore him to secrecy. Although she’s had parts of good days with the kids, she’s fading rapidly. Every smile now rips my heart out. Having the kids there is a must. Experiencing this through them is the hardest though.”

Remembering he wasn’t the only one who cared for Dan and Carol, Nick asked the obvious question. “Can I bring Rachel, Jean, and Gus by too?”

Dan shook his head no, gripping his cup to point of cracking in his hands. “Can’t do it, Nick. She wants everyone to remember her as she was. It’s only the fact she keeps rereading the chapter in your first book, Diego’s Way, titled End of Days. It’s the passage where the woman Diego has an affair with earlier in the novel dies slowly in pain from a gunshot wound. Adara was Diego’s contact in Beirut during an operation to kill an official in the government. They’re trapped together due to bad intel. Carol loved that scene. She cried every time she read it, because Diego stays with Adara to the end, in spite of the danger. Now, Carol repeats the line Diego said to Adara when the dying woman gripped Diego’s hands in pain and fear – ‘it is a long hard road sometimes to the end of days, baby, but I will travel it with you as far as I can go’. Do you remember, Nick?”

Nick remembered. It was not Beirut in real life. It had happened in Tehran during an op to sanction a General thought to be using weaponized Anthrax. His contact’s name had been Fatima. Her pain filled face jetted into his consciousness the moment Dan mentioned the chapter. Gut-shot, Fatima died hard, but as in the novel, Nick remained with her to the end. He killed her killers, and the official who had sold them out.

“I remember. I respect your request. I’ll let them know it was as Carol wished. My gang will be disappointed, but this ain’t about them. Something else is troubling you, Dan. What is it?”

The old man straightened in his seat. “I made an error in judgment when Carol got sick so quickly. The bills were piling, and I didn’t know whether to cash in our retirement money, or get a loan. I had no idea at the time how long she would be sick. I got a loan for fifty thousand with a loan place in Salinas. They were the only ones who could get me the money fast. We didn’t have house payments, but the property taxes, utilities, food, and medical bills wiped out our savings, leaving us nearly thirty grand in debt. We weren’t ready for it. I didn’t have anyone go over the contract with the loan people. They had a clause in there stating they could demand the loan’s full amount with only two weeks grace period. I can’t do anything to stop it. Taking care of Carol, I ignored mail received since she took a turn for the worse. There’s only two days left. The loan manager called to make certain I was aware this morning. He claimed hard times made it vital for them to collect their money. Due to the margin I agreed to, I owe nearly sixty now.”

“Don’t give it a thought. Do you have the loan papers with you?”

Dan grabbed Nick’s hand in both his. “I’ll pay you back! I just need some time. Thank you! I have the papers in my car.”

Nick came around, and helped Dan to his feet. “Don’t give it a thought. I don’t want to piss you off, because I know this was hard for you, but we’ll work something out. Let’s go get the papers, and I’ll handle it from there.”

Gus approached the house as Dan was driving off, waving at Gus as he went by. “I see in your face Dan’s visit wasn’t good news.”

Nick explained it all, including the Salinas loan. “I’m faxing these papers to Paul. I’d bet he’ll know someone in the Department of Justice who would be interested in a loan outfit like this. I know loan sharking on this scale is definitely illegal. Once Paul confirms my suspicions, we’ll go over to pay them off. Come in. We have a few hours before Jean’s out of school.”

“Let’s go over and shoot them all in the head. I see it in your eyes, Muerto.”

“That is the reason I’m not visiting Carol until I handle this matter. If I visit her first, I may do something rash. These are petty crooks. They’d steal their own Mommy’s home, but I’m not handing out death sentences to them for it.”

Paul faxed a notarized ‘Cease and Desist’ FBI warning naming the loan shark outfit in violation of the law. Nick held it for Gus to see. “I’ll have a talk with these gentlemen, and bring them a cashier’s check for the amount Dan owes. Want to come along?”

“Yeah, I do. I want to be on hand when they do something stupid. Am I dressed okay, or should I change?”

Gus wore his black slacks and shirt with his black leather jacket. “You look very scary, Payaso. I believe I will shave and follow your choice in clothing. Hopefully, your wish for something stupid won’t materialize. We have John now running a Terrorist camp in the Valley I haven’t had a chance to explain yet to you.”

“Will you see Carol afterwards?”

“As soon as I explain the situation to Rachel and Jean. Tina cares for Dan and Carol too. They’ll have a hard time understanding, but we’ll make one of those funny collage things on one of those digital picture frames Rachel buys but never uses. It might brighten Carol’s day, and give our female companions something positive to do.”

“Tina loves those two,” Gus added. “That’s a neat thing you thought of. I’d almost think you had a heart, Muerto.”

“I almost wish I didn’t, Payaso.”

“I hear you. Get your black on, partner. We need to set things right in financial land where we seldom journey. I’m interested in seeing what kind of fuck writes an old man a loan like that.”

“I don’t like your tone, Payaso,” Nick warned. “I’ll leave you at home with Deke if I hear any more talk like that.”

“As you wish, Muerto.”

* * *

The building housed more than one operation. Nick and Gus entered the center shop doorway with the big vertical billboard announcing Easy Loans: check cashing, foreign exchange, reasonable loans, and instant money. A chime sounded when they walked in. Two men in business suits came out to greet them with welcoming smiles. The interior, although narrow, incorporated a complete ATM and banking tools. Forms for everything imaginable were well labeled, and marked in plain categories.

The two men were not average looking loan officers by any means. One wore black, and the other dark gray, with somber dark colored ties. Both men were Russian Mafia, matching pictures Nick and Gus had turned up as employees of Easy Loans, among others. Sandy haired, rough featured, and big in only a slightly overweight manner. They sported wide shoulders, broken noses, and Rolex watches Nick could tell at a glance were real. He and Gus had done a complete workup of Easy Loans. They did mostly expensive, but legitimate transactions, except when someone needed money right away. Bad reviews, threatened customers, dismissed court cases, and accusations of leg breaking methods abounded. Nick didn’t care what they did. If he could straighten Dan’s debt out, he planned to do so quickly and quietly.

“Gentlemen,” the larger of the two men said, extending his hand to Nick. “How may we be of service? I’m Rod Matger, and this is my top associate, Saul Korbin.”

Nick shook both men’s hands as did Gus. “I’m Nick McCarty, and this is my partner, Gus Nason. We’re here to settle a debt for a friend, Dan Lewis. We have his loan papers and the amount owed. I have a cashier’s check for the $58,976 dollars owed on the loan. His wife is dying of cancer, so he’s with her now constantly. I hope we can conclude this matter quickly, Mr. Matger.”

“Of course… of course,” Matger said, exchanging unreadable glances with his co-worker. “Step over to our desk, and I will get your loan on screen. May I have the papers please?”

“Certainly.” Nick handed them over in a folder.

Matger gestured for Gus and Nick to sit down in front of the large desk in their right hand corner, while Korbin stood smiling with hands clasped at his waist. Matger sat down, fingered Dan’s loan on screen, and then checked the details by glancing from the loan papers to his screen. After a few minutes in which both Nick and Gus realized they were about to be screwed, Matger turned to them with a sorrowful gesture.

“I am sorry, Mr. McCarty. Mr. Lewis’s loan has gone into collection and forfeiture of collateral. It is not possible to take that amount in payment at this late date.”

Gus jumped to his feet, fists clenched. “Listen, you soulless wanker, we’re a day earlier than agreed to by that two week scam of yours. Do yourself a favor, and take the check. Write us a receipt, and we leave you two treasures alone.”