Hard Case VII - Red Waves (John Harding Series Book 7) (33 page)

“I’m tellin’ Denny. I’m tellin’ Denny,” Lynn chanted happily as she skipped ahead of me. “Damn… and I thought meeting Claude this morning would be the most exciting thing to start the day. That was so good, I’ll help with the cell seven cleaning.”

We both started laughing at the same time after Lynn’s cleaning declaration. Clint turned on audio so we could hear Clint Jr. laughing too, egged on by his old man would be my guess. Lynn’s aversion to cleaning of any kind other than her son was a well-known truth in life. I went into our locker area facilities where I kept a couple changes of clothes. After washing away Bluto and the boys, I put on clean clothes, and rejoined my fellow monsters.

“Two rigid heart strikes in a small space of time,” Clint remarked. “Are you planning on incorporating that move into all your holding cell adjustments, brother?”

“Too messy. I’ll be cleaning the damn cell for an hour as punishment. Alexi’s coming over too. He hasn’t seen Claude in a long time. He used Claude’s services in the past. Apparently, Claude will be happy hearing Felix Moreau died in an assassin’s duel. I wonder if Claude knows Nick.”

“You can bet he knows of him,” Clint answered. “Nick kept his identity secret from the time I trained with him. When I first saw his name mentioned as a bestselling author of assassin novels, I laughed my ass off. I remembered Frank Richert. He tried to hire me around the time Nick contracted for him. I couldn’t stand the sight of the prick. Nick launching an author career based on missions he did, using a fictional character named Diego, must have nearly made old Frank’s head explode.”

“Nick’s a nice element on a mission like this,” I replied. “He brings along his own infiltrator and ship’s captain. Not only that, he has his own cleaner… no offense, Lynn.”

“None taken.” Lynn waved me off. “We have you, Cheese. Get busy.”

Chapter Twelve

New Keys

The door signal announced one of our scheduled arrivals. I answered it, taking a quick peek at who I would be facing with Colt in hand. It was Claude. I opened the door. We shook hands without hesitation. “Good to see you, Claude.”

“I admit I am more than happy you called. This retirement business in my line of work requires more work than when I worked.”

“That is what I’ve heard. It has come to my knowledge assassins not only live by the contract but by reputation and ranking.”

Claude walked alongside of me without a hint of my Achilles Tendons’ surgery. He appeared in perfect shape for anything we had for him.

“Alas, my friend, it is a truth beyond understanding. Assassins who retire at my ranking as you say are never trusted to stay out of the business. In my defense it was you who retired me so there were no rumor mills involved. No one else knows I’ve been out of the mix other than your crew.” Claude shrugged. “We can’t be trusted, John. Assassins have black souls. I have attempted to do good things since interacting with your team. It’s a process.”

“I hear you.” We arrived at the meeting room with Clint, Lynn, and Clint Jr. I introduced them to Claude with full accolades.

Claude shook hands with both enthusiastically. “I am not without resources in the community. I have heard of you both. Coupled with John’s original crew this will be a momentous mission I feel better about success for with each passing moment – always a good sign. It is wonderful to meet you both.”

“Likewise, Claude,” Clint replied solemnly before pouring him a coffee as we sat down. Lynn flipped me off for giving her a ‘where’s mine’ look. “Lynn and I know much about you too.”

“All bad, I’m sure.”

“We don’t hold that against you, Claude. I’ve been turned from the dark side myself,” Lynn told him. “We have another name with us: Nick McCarty. He and his crew are golden with us. Do you know of him?”

Chardin’s eyes widened at the mention of Nick’s name which made me smile. “I know enough of him that I made sure never to work in the same hemisphere with him. His name appeared on the ‘Dark Web’ as an open target for a time at an incredible price. So many died, the name disappeared with a warning the author of the hit died with his hired contractors. The man now uses his own name writing bestselling assassin novels. I’ve read them. They are excellent, mostly because I recognize all the hits. How does he get away with his lifestyle?”

“From what we’ve heard he has a well-paid grapevine surrounding his home base,” I answered. “Plus, he kills on sight without hesitation or worry about extenuating circumstances.”

“Not to mention, Dead Boy holds credentials from FBI, CIA, and the US Marshal’s Service,” Clint added. “He’s an assassin anomaly for sure.”

“Dead Boy?”

“We need to know if you’re in or out before going any further, Claude,” Clint added. “Dead Boy is our private subcontractor we protect at all costs for reasons we’ll explain.”

Claude leaned forward. “I am in your hands. I confess to being lost and without direction other than jumping off a cliff or returning to old bad habits. What shall I swear on as allegiance to join this mission?”

“Your word is good here until it’s not, Claude. Then, it is hell on earth,” Clint said.

“Understood. You have my word. It means more now than it ever did.”

“Have you tuned into any death videos of Isis members and serial killers under the tag ‘The Unholy Trio’?” Clint was right. He had to know.

Chardin remained silent, staring at us from one to the other. “Good Lord! That is McCarty? He is Muerto?”

“He sure is, Claude. I just put the last serial killer execution on YouTube last night,” Lynn said. “We needed him for a particularly vicious finish.”

Claude chuckled, nodding his head. “I have any videos done by ‘The Unholy Trio’ linked into my must watch list. You are Crusader Crue, Lynn. I have seen every video from your crew, including the torture methods and kill missions.”

“I am,” Lynn admitted. “This new collaboration gains us many more tools than we had. It will still be a closed mouth operation with committed killers. The only semi – Snow Whites are deck hands and support. They’re also killers. Alexi Fiialkov will be joining us this morning. He plays a big part in our support and information conduit now. He mentioned you would be pleased an assassin named Felix Moreau died a gruesome and final ending.”

Chardin chuckled, waving off Lynn. “Sorry… sorry… I do not make light of what you say but I have heard Moreau dead many times. He always comes out unscathed with new contracts completed.”

“Not this time, Claude.” I cued Nick’s video and report with DNA confirmation, including Moreau’s death. “Nick wore a cam. Take a look.”

Chardin took the iPad from me and watched it with first disbelief and then humor at all of Nick’s adlibs. “Yes! This is indeed Muerto. A knife throw to the throat! Moreau wanted me dead. I asked from one pro to another if I had a contract on my head. He told me no. He had no professional courtesy. Felix simply wanted me dead. I never killed off contract except in self-defense.”

He watched the whole thing from beginning to end three more times before handing it back to me. Claude shrugged. “We are from the dark side. I cannot complain when rules are ignored where there are no rules. I like this Nick. Did he have a contract on Moreau?”

“Nope. Moreau spotted Dead Boy on a Salem Ferry and stalked him.”

Claude grinned. “Obviously not very well.”

“That would be my take on it too,” Clint replied. “Moreau and I had bad times ahead. He was the only one I had to constantly be checking the skyline for. Thanks to Dead Boy, Moreau’s in hell where he belongs.”

“Maybe he’ll be waiting there for us.”

Clint grinned. “He’ll have to take a number and it won’t go well for him, Claude.”

“Indeed.”

Alexi Fiialkov joined us a few minutes later. His reunion with Claude could be classified as a warm business like affection. They didn’t trade war stories about the past. They shared a toned down satisfaction over Moreau’s demise once Alexi knew Claude had been informed. Lynn took the opportunity to break in with business.

“We’d like you to take a look at our holding cells, Claude. I believe we have the Albanians figured out. A guy you might know named Francois Yaman, we took captive with his crew, shed some light on the Starlight assault. The Cheeseburger made an adjustment so ignore cell seven. He hasn’t had a chance to tidy up yet.”

“I would be glad to. I’ve never dealt with the Albanians. They’re too unpredictable. One day they could hire me to kill someone and the next send a shooter after me. They also have a bad reputation for paying when the job is done. Francois I know very well. He is the one to see for first class identity work. Who is the Cheeseburger?”

I waved my hand. “It’s a tag I have for beating a guy named Rattler’s fists so badly with my face I looked like I was ready for the barbecue.”

Claude chuckled. “I saw those Rattler fights. They were brutal.”

“I will go with you to see these men who work for Francois,” Alexi said.

“Follow me boys.” Lynn led the way to the holding cells.

The Albanians saw Lynn and sat quietly with hands clasped on the bunks… probably in prayer. Yaman’s crew saw Claude and at least three revealed familiarity. Another hurried to the side of the cell, his face turned away. Claude paused by cell seven with interest.

“A heart strike? Never have I seen one. Do you have it on video, Cheese?”

“Yeah… and thanks for adopting my tag so easily, Claude. There’s a guy in the next cell who seems to be playing hide and seek since spotting you.”

“Yes. I saw him.” Claude moved to the cell. “His name is Yanir Abushi. He was with Al Qaeda from the beginning. Yanir was a member of the instigators who fomented the uprising in France called the ‘Arab Spring’. If he was working for Francois it was as a spy to make sure any terrorist business proceeded without hindrance. Francois is no believer. He has made a fortune from Al Qaeda. Abushi is a foaming at the mouth Islamist. He would kill his own mother in a fit of religious righteousness if she wore a veil out of place in public.”

“Traitor!” Abushi rushed the cage. Claude never moved. He merely smiled. “Allah will have his revenge on you blasphemer!”

I peered in at the prick with Claude. “He’s a pretty good actor. He was one of the quiet ones.”

Abushi stumbled away from the cage at sight of me.

“I see Yanir was suitably impressed with your heart strike, John.”

“He saw a lot more than that,” Lynn added. “Cheese ended the cell seven rebellion all at once this morning unarmed. Yanny would piss himself if Cheese went in after him.”

“A good friend of mine from my childhood was raped and murdered in Paris during the ‘Arab Spring’. She was an innocent, a premier violinist without peer. I found the rest of the actual murderers. It is good to see Abushi in your hands. If anyone in these cells knows something more it will be him.”

“Oh baby! That’s what I’m talkin’ about,” Lynn said, clapping her hands. “Yanny! Come on down!”

“I know nothing!” Abushi gestured with palms outward, warding off attention unsuccessfully.

“Okay kids. Here’s how it works,” Lynn instructed. “The Cheese will enter the cell and extract our new helper, Yanny. Feel free to try and stop him. Otherwise, if you don’t want to have your brains beat in, go stick your faces into the wall and stay quiet.”

Lynn went to our cell controls. “Ready Cheese?”

“Anytime, Crue.” I waited outside Abushi’s cell. He provided added amusement when the rest of his cellmates did as Lynn told them to. Yanir tried to scramble under his bunk.

I walked in and crouched down with a smile. “You do realize if I have to drag you out of there I’m going to break something on you, right?”

Abushi remained where he was for a moment before crawling out. I jerked him to his feet. “Put your hands behind your back. Walk out in front of me.”

Lynn put the restraints on him. “We’d like Tito Rontos, Francois, and Gordon Gilani to see you too, Claude. We’ll take Yanny with us for laughs.”

“You must get us out of here!” One of our female guests yelled. “The men leer at us constantly!”

“You girls get on your bunks and relax,” Lynn told them. “We’ll probably have you out of there in no time.”

At the isolation cell, Lynn opened it to the broken men inside. They were now her good little helpers. Francois jumped to his feet, showing some emotion.

“They have you too, Claude?”

Claude shook his head. “No… I work with them, Francois. Keep doing everything they ask of you. I believe you already know the alternative. Gordon? I can see in your eyes you have paid for many sins. I do not know Tito. Francois, did you know this is Yanir Abushi?”

Francois fell to his knees in shock, perceiving he would be punished for the admission. “I did not know, Mistress! That is not the name given to me when he was sent over the border.”

“Calm down, Francois,” Lynn urged. “This was more of a get to know each other moment. Yanny is about to become another big helper. Has he been working with you long?”

“He came to me after the China Basin debacle. He escaped the aftermath when the feds moved in. He said he was a deck hand on the boat, Mistress.”

“We’ll find out the rest,” Lynn assured him. “Nothing to say, Gordy?”