“It means anyone coming after you will have to deal with us,” Gus answered. “Dimah may not have realized the complications from unexpected consequences. What do you think about the guys from today’s meeting, Nick?”
“I will enjoy my drink, take a nap, and get ready for nighttime,” Nick answered. “I know the male line of the Kader family well enough that until we go home, we’ll need to watch our backs especially at night. We need to put in a couple days meeting with the prosecutor to confirm we’re available in case Kensky’s dismissal is ever challenged. Tim and Grace will need to be updated on the Kensky threat level as well as Sarah.”
“It will be interesting if Tim and Grace can find out who might have made the fake ID Kensky planned to use in this latest attempt at a kidnapping,” Gus said. “Do you trust them to keep quiet about where they acquired it?”
“I trust them, but I don’t trust the Justice Department, no matter what assurances we get about cover. If Tim and Grace can do the detective work concerning the ID, then great, I have no problem with them tracing the creator. If they need to go through Justice in following the lead, then we’ll have to pass on giving it to them. Whomever did the ID for Kensky knew what Kensky planned. I would like to have words with someone capable of giving out fake police ID’s to serial killers. We’ll have to do our own search for the culprit if I can’t let Tim and Grace have the fake ID.”
“Can I stay on watch with you tonight, Dad?”
“That would be no,” Rachel chimed in for Nick. “Don’t push anymore crap about anything to do with this, Daughter of Darkness, or you’ll be heading off to bed in the next few moments with nothing more than Deke to keep you company. Now that you have a plan for the murderous subjects on the day’s agenda, did you give any more thought to the Salvatores trying to get us kicked out of the Country Club?”
“I thought that was a dead subject, my dear,” Nick replied. “Julius handled it, and you don’t golf or do anything at the Club other than dinner anyway. Can we keep that subject off the agenda for a while? I promise I’ll have a word with Phil if they try pulling anymore stunts like that one, okay?”
“Okay, Nick, but I’m serious. I’ll go postal if I get word of another Salvatore attempt to crap on us.”
“Understood,” Nick replied. “The Salvatores are officially off the Christmas list.”
*
“Do you and Gus have the driver spotted, John?”
“Yes, Muerto. Let us know when you want us to take him.”
“The moment I get the three approaching, I’ll give you the signal. Do they have something with enough cargo area for the bodies?”
“They have a Dodge panel van,” Gus said. “There’s lots of room. I admit it. I thought you were paranoid thinking the Kaders would take this ‘family feud’ thing so far. What do you think they planned on doing?”
“I don’t know,” Nick answered, lining the first man in the crosshairs. “I’ll let you know in a moment. I’m sick of the Kader family. If it weren’t for Dimah and Cala, I’d be considering a pre-emptive strike on these cockroaches.”
Nick sighted in on the line of three black clothed men with full face masks trying to stealthily approach the mansion. He squeezed off three silenced rounds from the M107 sniper rifle, beginning with the man at the rear, and working his way forward. With all three men down, Nick added three more .50 caliber rounds from his perch atop the mansion roof. His night vision scope revealed no movement from the bodies halfway along the circular driveway.
“Done. Take the driver out, guys. I’ll meet you next to our other three uninvited guests.”
Three hundred yards away, Gus pulled open the driver’s side door on a Dodge van. John stun-gunned the driver before putting a plastic bag over his head. The man’s life ended minutes later. With the driver in the rear cargo compartment, John drove to the mansion’s driveway with Gus following in Nick’s SUV. Midway around the wooded driveway, Nick signaled from the walkway. John stopped the van with Gus driving to the walkway behind him. Both men followed Nick to where the three bodies lie. It took only minutes to load the bodies into the Dodge van. Nick, equipment bag in hand, got in the back of the van with the bodies while John resumed driving duties. Nick meticulously took DNA samples, pictures, and gathered everything the men had with them.