“Why’s he doing bad reviews on all your novels, Dad,” Jean asked. “If he didn’t like one, why would he buy more?”
Nick grinned. “He hasn’t read any since the first one that pissed him off. After that, Mr. Dafar has been attempting to kill off the sales of my books. It’s no big deal. He’s failed miserably, but not for the lack of trying. When I confronted him in the comments section on Amazon, politely pointing out he hadn’t read the novel he was reviewing, his head boiled over with all manner of Islamic outrage, and of course my Islamophobia. I think he actually added a whole new bunch of readers with his zany rages. It didn’t take much to set him off either. Sometimes I’d wait weeks to confront him on Amazon. It drove him nuts. Anyway… I heard he was flying into New York today. He’s been out of town doing God knows what. He doesn’t work. Dafar’s a parasite on the ass of humanity, and he wants to be recognized for it as if it were a skill.”
“But you think it’s funny to put us all in the lounge with this creep, huh?” Rachel smiled while shaking her head. “You are the strangest of all time, Nick. You know that… don’t you?”
“He needs to do this, Rach.” Gus understood what Nick had in mind. Everyone in the lounge would be under video surveillance. Those videos could be accessed later. “We’re a family. Nick needs to present us in a public place to interact with this guy. It’s part of being a famous bestselling author. Nick will be seen as above the fray, a magnanimous husband and father.”
“Damn it… bait again? I no longer look good on the hook, Nick,” Rachel began the ridicule at Gus’s opening. “I know we’re a weird family, but there’s no excuse for making us ‘The Addam’s Family’ from hell.”
“But Cara Mia?” Nick played along. “Uncle Whiney Fester is exaggerating. I’m sure if our little Pugsley, who is only a few months away from joining us, would be ecstatic reveling with his big sister Wednesday in greeting my literary nemesis, Mohammed.”
“It’s fun hanging out with you bunch,” Tina commented, “but you’re all nuts, including Uncle Whiney Fester.”
“All in favor of Tina becoming ‘Thing’ in our Addam’s Family mockup, raise your hand,” Nick directed.
Even Uncle Whiney Fester raised his hand, receiving an elbow in the ribs for his trouble. Before ‘The Addam’s Family’ remarks could be enjoyed to the fullest, Jacob Candelus/Mohammed Dafar entered the lounge with two burly suited men at his side. Dafar spotted Nick nearly the moment he walked through the door. He stared at Nick, without stepping in further, actually blocking the entrance/exit to the lounge. Only when two businessmen tried to push by him did Dafar and his bodyguards move away from the doorway. They went to the bar while Nick ignored the man and his retinue completely.
“Don’t look at him, but my fan has arrived,” Nick said. “Now the fun begins. We’ll see if Dafar is stupid enough to run his mouth off in a public place. I’m betting he’s more than ready to demonstrate how dumb he can be. If he approaches us like I believe he will, please do not react to anything spewing out of his mouth. Let me do the talking.”
Gus checked Dafar momentarily. “I think you have his attention, Nick. He’s definitely spotted you. If he had laser beams for eyes, you would be toast.”
“What are you thinking he’ll do, Dad?”
“I believe when he stews over the idea of being in the same room with me and I don’t notice his presence, he’ll come over to say hi. It’s not often an author is lucky enough to meet with a ‘Book Killer’ outside of the Amazon marketplace. Don’t worry. Nothing can happen in here. I can tell Dafar has forgotten the fact they have every square inch of this airport under video surveillance.”
Rachel sighed. “You were right. Here he comes, and he looks almost as annoyed at you as I can get at some of your antics.”
“Handle him, ‘Thing’,” Nick ordered Tina.
“I don’t think so, Gomez. You’re on your own.”
“McCarty!” The over six foot tall Dafar strode towards Nick. He carefully cradled what looked like a double of amber liquid. His black bearded, buzz cut dark hair, and glowering countenance had people on his way over to Nick’s table cringing out of his way.
Nick turned with a smile to meet Dafar’s dark eyed glare. “Hello. Do I know you, Sir?”
“Of course you know me, fool! We flew together overseas. I apprised you of your blasphemous anti-Islamic ravings in those hideous novels of yours. Now, I have read where you murdered a true believer in a school!”