“No. I copied the stuff off the Kader gadgets. Say hello to everyone for us. We’re hitting the road home. Johnny and Cala would like to stay if Lynn thinks she’ll need them for the LA filming. Johnny’s excited about the new director gig.”
“I think that’s what Lynn has in mind. We only have a short window of time to get the episode done. Sam and Janie will be available in two days for taking custody of Nardo. We’re returning Lynn’s experiment, Flo Nazari, to her parents in LA. We don’t know how that will work out. Lynn reeducated her for sure, but it’s a hit and miss as we found out with Senta Bulgar. You and Cala can stay at our house, Johnny.”
“Great! Thank you. I’ll get our bags.”
Cala gave Nick a hug. “Thank you for bringing me along, Muerto.”
“You did wonderfully, Cala. We needed you at Felicia’s house. Have a good time on location with Director Deville. C’mon, Gus. We’ve already received enough warnings to get our asses home.”
“Thanks for helping out with our enemies list.”
“No problem. They were right on our way, Clint.”
“Want some company on your trip to the sand?”
“I would but I have Al-Saud set nicely to see only me. He will undoubtedly have men watching for my arrival in Dubai. He’s staying at the Atlantis. I’m very familiar with the place.”
“Call us if you get into a jam there, brother.”
“Will do. See you on the flip side, Clint.”
“Before we go,” Gus said. “How’s work coming along on the Tempest.”
“Real good. We have a team working on her from the mainland,” Clint replied. “That reminds me, we’re working on ownership papers. We liked your suggestion of adding the ‘Lone Ranger’ theme to our music selection. Since Ranger is okay with all of you we’ll have the name changed on the boat.”
“I like it,” Nick said.
“I liked Johnny’s suggested name: Infidel’s Revenge,” Gus added, “but like Nick said, we might as well blow her up ourselves.”
“Yep. It was our favorite too,” Clint replied. “We could add one of those skulls with an American flag on its forehead too. We’re having some nice armaments installed on her. We could probably have a huge black flag to display, if we want to piss off someone, featuring a skull and the Infidel’s Revenge moniker.”
“That would be great, Clint,” Johnny said as he joined the group with his and Cala’s bags. “I hope we have an opportunity to do another Crusader Crue video. The cat videos are kicking my butt on YouTube. I must get something of substance uploaded soon.”
*
“What will we do without Kaders screwing with us,” Gus asked as he drove toward Pacific Grove.
“Enjoy walking to the school again,” Nick replied. “This road trip was chock full of surprises. I’m ready for some mornings at the beach, days and nights writing on the deck, and walking the Dekester.”
“How long will you take off before you go to the sand?”
“I’ll know more about that when Al-Saud responds to my report on Al-Kadi’s ending. Clint fixed Saran nicely inside a body-bag with a perfect .45 caliber hole between his eyes for me to send Al-Saud. It was better than my quickie pictures at the compound with a slit throat. He will be letting me know when he wants to meet in Dubai. He’s already paid me for the hit. I gave him the opportunity to look over what I have from the Pilot Hill compound before paying for what he asked me to retrieve for him.”
“I bet Rachel would like you to hang around for a while. You have a book signing too, don’t you?”
“I promised Pilgrim’s Way Books in Carmel I’d do another signing. I half expected them to cancel because I had to kill that book killer outside their establishment.”
Gus chuckled. “After the headlines you received with the US Marshal McCarty Shootout in Carmel, I’ll bet they had plenty of demands for your return. Did you get much writing done on the trip? I saw you typing away but you never mentioned anything about progress.”
“I managed fifteen hundred a day. ‘Blood Beach’ will be a hit I think. Diego’s romance with Fatima despite her constant betrayals have Jed and Leo frustrated as hell. They can’t believe Diego hasn’t shot her in the head yet. Did you get a chance to read the copy I put on your Kindle?”
“Yep. It’s your best one yet. Johnny thinks so too. He’s read through your whole series already. He’ll be pissed about missing a book signing.”
“Johnny’s so pumped about learning the ropes making movies, I doubt he’ll give it a thought. I wonder if Rachel will allow Jean to go with me. I know she’ll ask if she can go along with her minion, Sonny.”
“Those two are inseparable,” Gus said. “I’ve tried not to think about what kind of devilment they cooked up while we’ve been gone. Issac told me everything’s been quiet. After he returned from Pilot Hill, he patrolled our neighborhoods. He shadowed Rachel when she took the kids to school.”