“Don’t say a word,” Gus warned. “I see that smirk on your face. After you take care of this nasty business, how the hell are you going to handle the bodies and vehicles? Why don’t we call Tim and Grace?”
Nick shook his head. “They have Uzis. You and I can’t arrest them without a gun battle. Great Kate gets away with her tipoff because I’ll have to try and bury the unknowing accomplices. Think of my angst at being set up for the kill by that idiot Anderson. Calhoun and his boys could have went after Rachel and Jean. Drive on, Payaso. Let me off fifty yards before the track turnoff.”
“What are you packing?”
“Sitletto and a folding shovel.”
“Are you out of your Muerto mind? Get something big out of the back with a silencer.”
“Nope. El Muerto must seek justice with his blade of darkness.”
Gus drove away, making gagging noises for Nick’s amusement. When they reached the position Nick had mentioned, Gus stopped on the roadside. “I’ll be at the same spot with fresh clothes when you call… if you’re still alive.”
“Gee… nice pep talk, Payaso.” Nick exited the GMC after petting Deke.
In a matter of moments, Nick angled fully into the woods after stripping off his pack, slicker, and making certain the black t-shirt he kept on was tucked in tightly. He also tied his shoe laces leaving no loop or loose end dangling. After tucking his pants’ legs into his socks, Nick continued to the right, figuring the ambush they planned for him would not be with the three of them together. He knew they would not want to chance being too deep into the woods where they would be risking bullet deflection, Nick paced stealthily on the wet ground, loving the covering rainfall. He slowed drastically as he passed what he thought was a half mile in. Ten minutes later, Nick nearly laughed out loud. He heard the sound of a video game being played. With silent precision, Nick picked his way on all fours to where he saw glimpses of a lighted phone screen. He had to pause, clamping hands to his mouth in smothered amusement.
In control once again, Nick began his deadly silent final approach. So absorbed in his video game was Jess Boyer that he never looked away from the screen until a hand gripped his face powerfully, shutting off his mouth and nose while the razor sharp stiletto blade sliced through his neck. The hand continued holding him in the frozen horrific pose as his arterial blood shot forward onto the leafy ground, taking his life with it. Nick allowed Boyer’s body to relax through its death throes before releasing him to the ground. He listened intently, filtering out the rain and slight breeze. Nick heard nothing on his right, but definitely a distinct rustle of leaves to his left as if someone repositioned themselves.
Nick took no chances. He backtracked through the woods until he knew it would be safe to scurry over the tracks to the wooded area on his left. Once in the woods, Nick resumed stalking his targets. Rafe Lansing knelt on his other knee, brushing against the bush on his right. Watching the man shift uncomfortably as he came within sight, Nick figured his target had bad knees which made it painful to either kneel or crouch in a waiting position for any length of time. With Lansing, Nick made his final death lunge as Lansing once again switched knees. He yanked Lansing’s face back with vicious proficiency, while clamping the man’s body between his knees. They shared the sight of Rafe’s life blood spurting in pulsing heartbeats of eternity. Nick then posed him against the tree while listening to Calhoun calling out for his partner.
As Dominic approached, Nick moved into the shadows on the opposite side of Lansing. Calhoun focused totally on Lansing and the area around him while Nick waited calmly without movement barely out of sight. He enjoyed Calhoun’s discovery of Lansing’s demise. When Dominic fell back, Nick moved on his prey, stabbing him with three rapid strikes to the hilt of his stiletto under Dominic’s ribcage. Shock paralyzed Calhoun, the stab wounds a mere burning discomfort compared to the Nick’s smiling face as he removed the Uzi strap from Dominic’s shoulder, yanking it away. Calhoun fell to his side, clutching his wounded midsection, screaming as he glimpsed the blood oozing out around his hands in the fading light. The pain from the wounds silenced his screams as they caused needle like shooting points of agony from his belt into his brain. He curled more into a fetal position sobbing uncontrollably.