“Or a combination of the two,” Rachel replied, sitting against the headboard.
“Or that,” Nick admitted. “You know if I had seen that coming, it would never have come close to happening. Those two would have been in the freezer in the Valley. The flag confrontation, and the brothers trying to scare me later was one thing, but bombs on the house? I’ll have to live until I’m ninety to be around when those idiots get out. I’ll have to add the Rashidi family to our other enemy family combatants to be watched: the Naders.”
Rachel covered his hand. “I know. Go make the Daughter of Darkness some tea, and I’ll be down in a few minutes.”
“Remember though, you still owe me this.” Nick made his obscene pantomime, eliciting the hoped for gasp of fake revulsion.
“Get out of here, Muerto.” Rachel covered her eyes. “You’re disgusting.”
“You say that now. We’ll see.”
“No… we won’t!”
*
Gus rang the doorbell as Nick kissed Rachel before walking out with Jean and Deke. “I didn’t think Payaso would make it this morning.”
“Maybe after last night, you should drive over to the school.”
Nick cupped Rachel’s chin while Jean answered the door, and hugged Gus. “I’m better if I don’t have a steering wheel in my hands. I don’t hesitate, and I have an open target range. We’ll be looking into this Rashidi angle for more than two pissed off jerks.”
“I picked my course, and you’re in it, Muerto. I trust you, but I can’t help sneaking in a wifely warning or suggestion once in a while.”
“They’re always welcome, partner. See you in a little bit. Would you like to go down to the beach today?”
“I’d better. I’m getting too stiff fooling around only at the house. I’ll make some hot mulled wine for myself.”
“It’s a date.”
Outside, tendrils of ground fog clung to the road down the hill. A chilling sea breeze blew in from the ocean, and coupled with the overcast sky to make a gray scenic Pacific Grove morning. Jean skipped ahead with Deke, but stayed closer than her usual walk to school. Nick and Gus paid attention to every vehicle noise, or movement near the houses. It was a morning of heightened senses, and acknowledgement all was not quite right in El Muerto’s backyard. The men remained observant, but quiet until arriving safely at the school with Jean. Nick walked Jean to the classroom, noting he did not get any curious looks from the other parents. He rejoined Gus and Deke with only smiles and waves.
“It looks like the news hasn’t hit,” Nick said. “I’m wondering if Homeland Security arrived, and put a clamp on everything to do with last night.”
“I wouldn’t blame them for doing so,” Gus replied. “I assume they have the Rashidi’s in the interrogation rooms this morning. There’s no doubt in my mind those pricks lawyered up the moment they entered the station. Too bad we couldn’t get them down in the Valley for a chat with your theme music playing.”
“I could tell last night those two would be begging me to let them talk inside of ten minutes. They’ll be wasting their time trying to question that arrogant asshole, Habib. He’s probably having his lawyer cite religious persecution as the reason he was arrested while planting bombs. I wish they’d let both of them go. I’d fit them into my schedule. I got caught relying on plain old naked luck last night. I’ll be glad when we take care of Sadun, and get the hell out of town for a while. I think we need to let our home base cool off for a while. It’s getting toxic, and I don’t like it.”
“What would you have done differently though?”
“Put the Rashidis through the CIA database wringer. If they’re only idiots, then so be it. If I find a link I shouldn’t have missed, then I have to file that one away as a blessing I probably won’t see again. I’ll take my satellite laptop special down to the beach today. We’ll conference with John, and I’ll do what I should have done before I had bombs planted on my house. Rachel’s walking with us. I’ll check in with the Marshals, and my lawyer. He’ll be getting into his office about the time we get to the beach.”
“Want to tell me about your lawyer?”