“It’s true. April means a lot to me. Her family is my family.”
“Understood. Your enemies are my enemies, brother. The Unholy Trio will solve this mystery one way or another.”
“Thanks, Nick. Moreau found by that tree all by himself with a submachine gun was bloody awesome. If I find out any more details I’ll send them directly to John. Is John as fast as you are on the computer?”
“Damn close. We’ll be in touch.”
Nick turned to John and Gus sitting at the bar with him. “We have another mission, but it’s just info gathering at Moreau’s place.”
“We caught pieces of the conversation,” Gus said. “Paul has a billionaire girlfriend. He’s damn good at the political and financial ends in this Federal game show of ‘show me the money’. Without his head in the game, I’m thinking the days of ‘The Unholy Trio’ would be numbered.”
“You think right. First thing tomorrow morning we’ll hit Moreau’s place.” Nick gestured at their families watching a movie, noticing Jean fell asleep with her face buried into Sonny’s shoulder. “How goes it on the home front?”
“Real good,” Gus said. “The deal with the signing tomorrow takes the heat off us for going on another journey of enlightenment. I’m not sure how long it will last if we find anything at Moreau’s place we have to do something about immediately. Maybe we could move quickly enough to be done tomorrow night.”
“It doesn’t help when we don’t know if we’re searching for animal, vegetable, or mineral,” John added. “I think Cala plans to go with me tomorrow if that’s okay.”
“Sure John. Rachel and Jean thought the signings were exciting until they actually went to a couple. Tina refused after the first one. Jean and Sonny want to go tomorrow since Rachel and Tina have a shopping day planned.” Nick filled Deke’s beer bowl. “You inhaled that first bowl, Deke. I think you may have a drinking problem.”
Deke snorted while lapping the beer up.
“What time do you want to go tomorrow?”
“Six, Gus. The FBI will want to tear the place apart since Moreau was on both Interpol and FBI’s most wanted lists.
“I wonder what Mr. Gilbrech’s expectations are for what we’ll find at Moreau’s place. It would not seem feasible for a professional assassin to carry around incriminating evidence of kills or contracts. When Moreau carried a smart-phone with his kills and kidnapping victims, encrypted or not, it shocked the hell out of me,” John said.
“It’s not so surprising. We’re funny birds when it comes to paper trails, accounts, or storage. Moreau put his files on a smart-phone he could destroy instantly. He figured a lot like me, that if they ever got my phone or laptop I’d be dead anyway. I’m hoping he kept a laptop. I don’t want anything happening to Paul. Depending on who it is asking I plan to handle actionable intel on the down low. It may be better for everyone concerned if a problem person after April Hutchen or Paul for money or blackmail purposes simply disappeared forever.”
“The mission cover Paul’s provided is habit forming, Muerto,” Gus said. “If you start going rogue on him, he may not have anything else he can do besides let your ass swing in the breeze.”
“I’m not going rogue, Payaso,” Nick said with some irritation as his friends enjoyed his discomfiture. “Some actions might be better done where no one but the three of us know what happened. I’m thinking of cutting down The Unholy Trio to The Unholy One like the old days.”
“You wouldn’t know what to do with yourself without your minions, Muerto,” Gus said. “It’s our duty to point out weak spots in your plans. Let’s have another sipper. We need to toast your hit on one of the most dangerous assassins on the planet.”
“Agreed.” Nick refilled their shot glasses. “You guys really helped a lot today. The phone cloning and GPS tracking made all the difference in getting Moreau. He didn’t have a clue he was being stalked. I guess we’ll have to keep the band together in spite of disrespectful comments about El Muerto. Muerto does not appreciate being upbraided by the minions of Muerto.”
“Nice one, Payaso,” John complained. “Now you have Muerto talking in third person again. It will be an hour before he returns to first person.”
“Muerto is right here. There’s no need to talk as if El Muerto was not sitting in the room with both of you.”
Gus held up his shot glass. “Here’s to Muerto. He killed the bogeyman today. Rot in hell, Felix!”
“Amen to that,” John said.
Nick smilingly clinked glasses, but while sipping the toast he wondered in reality how much separated him from Moreau. He glanced down at Deke lying at his feet contentedly. I’ll bet that prick Felix never had an animal that liked him in his entire life. For a reason beyond his understanding the fact a dog loved him made Nick feel better, because he knew deep down he was just as much a bogeyman as Felix Moreau ever was.