“We needed to force the bastards out of hiding anyway,” Lucas said. “This way, the American public can get a clue, and understand this is war, kill or be killed.”
“Exactly,” John said. “Except for Al-Kadi if Muerto can get him out alive, this is a kill mission. Lynn can find out everything Al-Kadi knows or has learned from birth to death after we get him back here. He dies then and Muerto gets proof to take with him to the sand for the hit on Al-Saud. Denny had our armored vehicles transported to a place outside Pilot Hill. We’re taking no chances. If worse comes to worse, we’ll drive the armor right through Al-Saud’s house. The only casualties I want to see are the terrorist trainees.”
“One other item while we’re hashing this out.” Denny had been silent through the whole briefing. Paul Gilbrech made the ‘kill mission’ call already. Denny would only have Al-Saud for a short time. “This attempt by an already known traitor, ex-Senator Diane Cameron, to mess with Nick cannot be swept under the rug. They have enemies’ lists in politics. We need to start watching our congressional leaders with a more proactive approach. They’re being elected by promising entitlements and many have never held a real job in their entire lives. This is a dangerous time. They’ve allowed our deadliest enemy to infiltrate our country in the hundreds of thousands.”
“Do you mean assassinate these people,” Tommy asked.
“No. That won’t work. It would end badly for us no matter how much good we did,” Denny replied. “I mean to establish a way to discredit these parasites who get elected promising freebies and then sell out their country for a buck. We have ways to get to these people without killing them. Nick took out Cameron that way. He made a sitting Senator resign or face prosecution. We can do the same.”
“What about the ones who stay below the radar legally but who we find selling influence to foreign countries,” Clint asked.
“There may be some who will have to be taught like Nick plans to teach Cameron,” Denny answered. “She obviously didn’t learn her lesson the easy way. I know from Nick’s report to Paul Gilbrech that Cameron deserves to be shot by firing squad. We can’t do that at this time without the liberals going on a suicide watch. Nick may do her a favor this way, because despite her plea deal to resign, we’ll send her to prison on some other charge. In any case, keep what I said in mind. We will be watching these jackals more closely.”
“Let’s get loaded,” John said. “We have a final lesson to teach at Pilot Hill. I wish we could do it with music but this one has to be silent death.”
*
Nick checked Lucas and Casey’s nests in the trees opposite the main house nearly four hundred yards away. He climbed to each perch in the darkness with his night-vision range finders at their request. The kill zone area fronting the main complex, within full sight of the two nests, made the positioning perfect for a bloody crossfire. He grinned at how the guards patrolled the grounds and the stationary spots on the upper levels of the building. It was obvious they thought their assignments of guarding the compound to be demeaning and unnecessary. Not one of them had night-vision oculars to scan the outlying areas. The perimeter was left unguarded completely. With the thick walled ornate barrier and solid steel grated gate, Al-Kadi’s men felt obviously safe.
“This is damn near perfect, Lucas,” Nick said. “Casey’s angle crosses your fire zone with as deadly a field as I could have pictured.”
“Thanks for taking a look, kid,” Lucas said. “With an op this touchy at night, I didn’t want to miss something. Another set of eyes is welcome. I’ll bet you’d like to be in my place.”
Lucas knew his former pupil very well. “You got me,” Nick admitted. “I live for this nest setting and kill zone. My part in this will be loud and exciting but this… this stirs my blood.”
“You had your fun on the ‘Starlight’. When you blew the heads off the captain and bridge crew on the first attacking boat before blowing it to pieces with the XM25, the rest of us nearly forgot what the hell we were doing. It’s my turn.”
“And mine,” Casey said in their ears. “I’ve been watching the troops deploy around the perimeter. We’re nearly ready for your big performance, Muerto.”
“I’ll get down and calm my assistants. They’re a bit nervous about their parts, especially after the last minute pep talk by the ‘Mistress of the Unimaginable’.”
“I heard that,” Lynn said. “Get to work. I promised my toys if they did a great job helping you I’d allow them to attend camp with Denny. Senta worries me, Muerto. She’s a high caliber actress. I’m usually sure of my creations, but in this instance, I’m a little uneasy.”
“I hear you, Lynn.” Nick climbed down from Lucas’s nest. “I will keep your reservations in mind when we get inside. Hey… if this was easy… anyone could do it, right?”
“That’s right, Dead Boy,” Clint said. “Pay attention and watch your six.”