“I’ll be here when you return, Sis.”
Sonny followed Jean’s lead. As they passed the first room on the right, a dark figure stumbled out with a garbled yell. Jean pistol whipped him to his knees and kicked him in the face. Sonny side kicked the next one at the doorway, sending him crashing all the way to the far wall. Sonny slammed the door shut, and Jean went on to the second room. She and Sonny positioned themselves on each side of the door. Jean then twisted the knob and pushed on the door. A shotgun blast tore a huge hole in the wall opposite the room. Sonny went in left and Jean right. The man with the shotgun hesitated. He was double tapped from both sides, his head a bloody mess as he dropped, shotgun clattering to the floor. A boy sat on two piled mattresses on the floor. He looked up at Jean with only mild interest.
“This is him, Cracker. Hi kid. I think I have a nicer place for you to stay. It doesn’t look like you have much to lose.”
“Okay,” the boy said simply. He slipped on tennis shoes without laces, and a ragged black hoodie. “I don’t think they’ll let you take me.”
“Probably not,” Jean said, putting her arm around the boy’s shoulders. “We won’t be asking permission.”
The boy smiled. “They have a silent alarm when anything happens here. Then guys arrive with bad ass weapons. I like you. Maybe you should leave me and go out the window. I’ll be okay.”
“I’m Viper, and this guy is Cracker. We’re going to get you out of here just fine. Come on. I want you to meet my brother Kong.”
The boy let Jean guide him. “You have cool names. Mine’s Benny.”
Near the door, Quinn signaled them to wait. “We have company.”
Three men exited an SUV across the street, and jogged toward the house.
“I told you,” the boy said with sadness.
Before the men reached the sidewalk, silent death rained down on them in short bursts, pulping their heads like overripe melons.
Benny’s eyes widened. “Wow.”
“That’s the Terminator, Benny,” Jean explained. “Come on. We have a little dog named Sam in California. I bet he’d like to meet you. We’ve decided to take you home with us. It’s too hard to explain stuff here in DC.”
“Okay… sure. I’d like that.”
*
On board the private jet, Nick shook hands with Clyde Bacall, who met Nick and his group at the plane’s entrance. “Hey, Clyde. How’s Terry and the kids?”
“Doing real good, Nick. Paul didn’t say what you were up to this trip. Is there anything you want done?”
“Nope. I think we have everything we need. Here.” Nick handed him a briefcase, while keeping an arm around Benny.
“What’s this?”
“You know. A little something for the kids.”
“Thanks, Nick. You know it’s not necessary. I wouldn’t have shit if not for you.”
“It’s a small thing, brother. Tell Paul I said hi, and I expect him and Ginny out at my place in two weeks.”
“I’ll tell him. Will there be a follow up to this?”
“Possibly, but I’m hoping it ends with tonight’s work. Take care, Clyde.”
“I will.” Clyde walked down the steps, embracing Rachel and Jean, and shaking hands with Quinn, Gus, John, and Sonny.
Fifteen minutes later, they were on their way to California.
*
Phil met with Nick and company on Dan and Carol’s beach. He walked distastefully in the sand toward the beach chairs. Nick, Rachel, Tina, Gus, John, and Cala sat on the chairs sharing a beverage, some Irish, some not. Jean, Sonny, Quinn, Benny, and Sam the dog were entertaining John and Cala’s three kids. They took turns playing keep away from Sam, and feeding the birds swooping down for crumbs.
“Really, Nick… was this necessary?”
“It was, Phil. I’m not much on doing things behind people’s backs. Doug Cameron resigned yesterday as I’m sure you heard because we sent him a movie implicating him in at least a half dozen felonies. That ends your problem. I have the database, and the digital confession you and Clarice did for our safekeeping. That means in case even one of those database items gets leaked to the press, you and Clarice will be in the middle of a shit storm. That ends my problem with you. Sonny told me you wished to speak with me and my team. This is where we meet. What can I do for you?”
“Julius is kicking us off the board and out of the country club. He says you removed your support.”
“No. I stopped paying your fees. I have nothing to do with the country club board, and I didn’t blackball you. Did you ask Julius why you can’t keep your membership on your own dime?”
“Yes… he said the only reason we were ever allowed to have a membership was because of you. That’s all he would say. Clarice is very unhappy about this.”
Nick stayed silent as if waiting for Phil to go on, only to take a slap to the back of the head from Rachel.