Kader Finality and More Trouble
Oh crap! Nick saw the BMW slowing as they approached, the headlights wavering on the horizon as they flowed toward them. Nick readied to draw down with his Beretta. “Jean, Sonny, take Deke and run for the house front here!”
Jean grabbed Sonny’s hand with a sudden yank, streaking over the strange house’s walkway with Deke on leash running at their sides. The BMW slowed to a stop with its opaque black windows. The passenger side front hummed down, revealing a grim faced Jacob Kader, hatred emanating from his face in waves.
“You will have our answer now to your demeaning bribe money!”
The BMW windows began rolling down. The occupants thought Nick would wait to see who was inside the car. They gripped their weapons, ready to blast through the open windows. The first indication things would not be going as planned came when Jacob Kader’s skull and brain matter sprayed over the men in the back. Spaced shots rang out as bullets struck the men with deadly precision as they tried to bring their weapons to bear. After ten shots in his fourteen shot clip had pulped the heads and hearts of the four other men with Jacob, including the driver, Nick popped in a fresh clip and calmly shot each one through the head once again. He then took out his phone. Rachel answered on the first ring.
“What have you done, Muerto?”
“No time, honey. I need you to put Quinn in the car carrier and come right now to get Jean, Sonny, and Deke. I’m still on Lighthouse Ave.”
“On my way. Are you ever going to take my advice and drive everywhere?”
“Are you going to tell me ‘I told you so’ for the next week?”
“Two weeks,” Rachel answered. “You need seasoning, Muerto.”
Nick growled as Rachel disconnected on him. He called John.
“Muerto?”
“It is I, El Muerto. I have five of your in-laws who decided to come by for a visit in the dark on Lighthouse Avenue while I was walking Sonny home with Jean and Deke.”
“Five for the freezer coming up. This is very embarrassing. I will never be able to repay such wondrous wedding gifts, Muerto. You shall have a seat of honor at the wedding table. It seems we will need to have a few extra family members to fill the seats. What kind of car can I tell Jerry I’m bringing him in the morning?”
“BMW. It’s got all the trimmings but will need a substantial cleaning. The neighbors are peeking out. I have to go, John. Rachel will be here shortly. Then I will be over at your house in twenty minutes. Thanks, John.”
“You are a wondrous brother. No thanks are necessary. I shall break this somewhat disturbing yet joyous news to my beloved. She will be comforted as only the El Kabong can do.”
“Of course. See you soon.” Nick took out his US Marshal’s badge and identification. He waved them at the people he could see cracking open their doors to duck heads around uncertainly to glimpse the darkened street. “I’m a US Marshal escorting foreign nationals. There has been an incident but everything is fine now. Please go back inside your homes. Thank you for your cooperation.”
Rachel in their SUV drove behind the BMW a moment later. Nick gestured Jean and Sonny to the vehicle with Deke, holding the front and rear passenger doors open for them.
“Forget what you saw, Sonny. Jean, you know the drill. Hi, Rach. Another bloody Tuesday, huh?” Nick stripped off his jacket and gave it to Jean. “See you soon. I didn’t keep my eyes open and senses turned on again. They were watching the house.”
“They won’t be watching it anymore,” Rachel stated. “Go on and get started. We’ll be fine.”
Nick nodded and waved as he closed the doors. At the BMW as Rachel drove by him, Nick shoved the bloody driver over Jacob Kader’s lap and face first to the passenger side floor. He drove the BMW toward Carmel Valley while absently wiping blood and brain matter off the driver’s side window. Nick reached over to pat Jacob Kader’s shoulder.
“You old wretch. I’m glad you were more of a talker than a doer. Those damn whiskeys I had while enjoying my deck writing made me stupid. I’m thinking about going on the wagon because of you. I’m making you do a Kabuki dance for John when I get to his place if Cala stays inside. You and your buddies caught me at a bad time with the kids. I wish I could have entertained you all for a couple of hours before I brought you boys to room temperature. Oh well… say hello to all the other Kaders down in hell for me.”
Nick hummed his toneless Kabuki dance tune while concentrating on his driving. John had the garage open for him. Both he and Cala were wearing coveralls, standing near cleaning buckets and body bags, surprising Nick. Cala smiled at him and waved. She cringed at first as Nick exited the vehicle, but controlled her obvious horror at what she saw in the car’s interior.