“Wrong answer, Dom. Clyde, please be so kind as to put this man on his knees with a plastic tie restraining his hands behind his back while I consider shooting him in the head.” Nick kicked Calhoun in the groin as he lay rolling around on the floor, provoking a scream of agony.
Bacall forced Calhoun’s companion to the floor, roughly jerking the man’s hands behind his back while Nick held the Colt barrel against the man’s forehead. Bacall disarmed him as Nick confiscated Calhoun’s five thousand dollars. He then waved the Colt at Juarez.
“Do we have a deal, Freydo?”
“We do.” Juarez handed Nick a card. “That’s my private number. Let me know when I can get back in business.”
“I will. Thank you for your cooperation.”
Clyde opened the door for Juarez and his man. He kept it open as Nick then gestured to the ladies. “Thanks for coming. See you all tomorrow.”
“Are you going to kill Dom,” Ivy asked, edging around her whimpering pimp.
“Nope. As promised, he and his buddy are going away for a few days, but without any money. Once we have the Ripper, I’ll have him released. I’ll give you and Dom’s other ladies a number to call. If he retaliates in any way, call me. I will come back here and cut his dick off, and shove it down his windpipe. I know none of you will take my advice, but the twenty grand you each get would make a nice start for you in a new line of work, and a new place of residence.”
After the ladies left, Nick turned Dominic over, restraining his hands behind his back. He roughly disarmed him. “I’m going to get you on your feet, Dom. If you don’t help me, I’m going to kick you in the nuts again.”
It took only seconds to get the moaning but very cooperative Dominic to his feet. “Let’s deliver these idiots to my US Marshal cohorts, and then head for home. You did real good, Clyde.”
“You really think this’ll work, don’t you?”
“I know it’ll work. He may take a day or two before he bites on the bait, but we’ll get him. Ripper’s been hacking the Dark Web for hooker appointments. If we don’t get enough real appointments, we’ll make them ourselves. Patience Clyde – we’ll get this sucker.”
“You wanted to kill the pimps. I could see it in your face.”
Nick grinned at Calhoun and his man. “I’m still considering it, but the ladies made the decision. Dom better be a good boy. If I get a call from any of his ladies about him being a bad boy, I’m going to show him some knife tricks in the middle of the night after he thinks he’s all snuggled in. We’ll have some fun then.”
The terrified look on Calhoun’s face convinced Clyde the man believed Nick. Bacall breathed in deeply while bending to pick up their equipment bag. So do I.
*
Dan, dressed as if he were going to a London opera, looking every bit the part of a well-dressed pimp with his merchandise, escorted Sarah along the walkway toward the Seattle Hilton Hotel near the airport at 2 am. It was Dan’s sixth appointment in two days. Each time, they had set in place their plan, but the appointments were completed without a problem.
“You sure look nice old man,” Sarah told him. “Maybe you should get into the pimp business full time. I’d work for you.”
Dan laughed. He enjoyed interacting with his supposed seraglio of women. “I’m afraid this is not my line of work, Sarah, nor should it be yours, young lady.”
“This Ripper guy had me thinking about getting out of the business or at least relocating,” Sarah admitted. “You do know that asshole carved up three pimps too, right?”
“Yep. He ain’t carvin’ this one up though,” Dan replied. Then he saw movement in his peripheral vision to the right in the spacious and quiet parking lot. His body language betrayed him.
“I see him, Dan,” Nick’s voice assured him. “Don’t tip Sarah off, Geezer.”
Dan simply nodded his understanding while he heard Gus and John talking about their positions. A black hooded figure with matching mask nearly six and a half feet tall angled in front of them. Sarah cried out in surprise as Dan arm swiped her behind him.
“Hello there, big fella,” Dan said. “Nice early morning, huh?”
“Don’t reach for anything, Gramps, or you die.” The black masked giant showed Dan the 9mm automatic Glock in his hand. “I’ve been watching your new operation, old man. You’re pretty slick. You two are coming with me this morning.”
“Are you the Ripper,” Dan asked with a big grin.
“Whatever would make you think that, Gramps? I’m not the Ripper. I’m having some fun. I don’t want to kill either one of you. Now, come along with me.”
“I don’t think so. I think you’re the Ripper, and I bet my buddy does too.”
“What buddy? Your driver drops you off at an appointment, and you walk the girls to their date. I ain’t seen no other players, although why an old pimp like you didn’t hire some muscle is beyond me. I’ll just tie you up, have a little fun with your girl, and then let you both go. Nobody needs to get hurt.”