Jean skipped ahead with Deke as usual, leaving Gus with an opportunity to inquire about Nick’s next steps, knowing from experience that ignorance was never bliss with El Muerto. “You hinted at drawing Tim and Grace into this. Do you have something vague in mind for this stunt, or are you playing it by ear?”
“We have two loose ends: Brook Wargul, Sadun’s lawyer, and Sadun. Since Wargul’s operating out of his office in San Francisco, I’m going to track him, and shoot him in the head from long range. Then, I’ll get Tim and Grace to argue a case for moving Sadun away from the Federal Penitentiary at Atwater. They leave the prison with Sadun in custody. I blow a tire out on their US Marshal mobile. Tim or Grace fake a crash off the road, just enough to fire the airbags, and I grab Sadun for a gab session at John’s place. Easy Peasy.”
“Will you for God’s sake stop using that term? It’s more annoying than your murderous assassin rampages.”
“That’s hurtful, Payaso.”
“Speaking of hurtful, are you expecting trouble today at the school? We’ve had so much happen since yesterday, I’d forgotten all about the riot you instigated at Jean’s school.”
“I won’t dignify that scurrilous accusation with any reply whatsoever.”
“In other words, you think there may very well be more problems at the school. Did you catch a news flash the rent-a-mob would be back?”
Nick shook his head. “I haven’t had time to listen to the news. We both know the media though. If they spied any opportunity yesterday to continue stirring the trouble pot, then we will have a contingent of them out there this morning. It could also be an ambush, where they’ll try to make any pro American Flag folks look like idiots. Look on the positive side, Gus. There might not be anyone at the school other than parents, students, and teachers.”
“I’m not putting any money on that sucker bet. You’re right though. It may be a media protest today, where they arrive to get ‘opinions’ which they promptly edit into one line napalm taken out of context. I’ll see if they have any trouble listed on the usual sites.” Gus used his iPad to search through local newscasts for any indication of a planned smear job, but found nothing. “I don’t like this, Muerto. There’s no media outrage for the flag defilers. Instead of doing a half day, maybe they should have taken a full day off. The media has the attention span of a pack of gerbils. Make them wait a day, and it’s old news.”
“I agree, but I didn’t get a vote,” Nick replied. “You dropped our lawyer Wargul conversation with a cheap shot, but did you have a real objection to what I have in mind?”
“How do you plan on getting Tim and Grace on board this Muerto express into career suicide? Granted, their oversight on not informing you of the government’s usual mishandling of a real threat nearly ended in…” Gus shut up for a moment. “Never mind… no matter how I try and underplay the dumbass move they went along with in not telling you about Pence, the more idiotic what I’m saying actually sounds to me.”
“It’s very simple. I’m not giving them a choice. They will help me with this. In fact, the turds will probably look like heroes, who knew the mob must be trying to kill Sadun, because of his lawyer’s murder. It will be their job to sell the danger of a potential mob hit inside the prison by an unknown source. When I hit their vehicle outside Atwater, they’ll look like visionaries.”
“How could that work? Atwater’s in the middle of nowhere. Any ambush in or around it, would cast suspicions immediately on an inside job, involving Tim and Grace.”
“Not if they’re found tied and gagged a city away in Merced.”
“Madre de Dios!”
Jeaned glanced over her shoulder with a grin. “Uncle Gus?”
Gus waved her off. “It’s okay. Your Dad told me something so out there in left field, my mind blanked.” Gus reduced his audio signal to a whisper. “That is wrong on so many levels, Muerto. What they did was wrong, but tied and gagged, and left for anyone to find… really?”
“That’s not quite all, Payaso, my shortsighted partner. I’ll have to wound one of them.”
“Madre de Dios!”
“Sometimes, doing what’s right hurts a little, partner.”
“When do you get to explain their part in this obscene Kabuki play of yours, I want to be there. Is that possible.”
“Sure. I have no objection. I think you’re going to find Grace and Timmy to be very receptive to my so called ‘Kabuki Play’. I’m interested in how they choose who gets wounded. I’m betting Timmy mans the hell up, and takes the bullet. On the other hand, Grace will probably browbeat him into allowing her to do it. They’re sleeping together now, so they’ll probably play some form of ‘Alphonse and Gaston’ vying with each other to make the sacrifice.”
Gus shrugged. “You’re sick, Muerto. I’m worse though. I’m like the rubberneckers on the freeway after a horrendous accident with body parts strewn everywhere. I can’t look away. You’ve made me into a sick freak like you are.”