Malik dived for his nightstand drawer only to be stun-gunned to the floor.
“That was stupid, Malik. Did you think I hadn’t already found and confiscated all of your weapons?” Nick stun-gunned Malik’s groin, causing screams so high in pitch, they only disturbed the dog next door. When Malik could speak again, Nick patted his head. “I really don’t want to do that again but time’s a wasting. Who put you idiots on me at the bookstore?”
“Fuck you! Arrest me, I-”
This time Nick applied the stun-gun until the already dying Malik passed out. Nick slapped him until he vibrated slowly into shuddering consciousness. Nick switched to Arabic. “Not very smart, Malik. You are dying. You have a couple of hours left before my injection kills you. If you want to spend the entire time having me caress your nuts with the electrodes on my stun-gun then keep playing dumb. Who sent you guys after me?”
Malik began to cry. Nick stun-gunned him again.
“Hello there again,” Nick said in Arabic when Malik regained the ability to speak. “Do not bother crying or whining. You are dead. How you pass the next couple of hours is up to you.”
Nick lit off the stun-gun, causing a heartfelt yelp of terror from Malik. “Blue arc or peace. Your choice.”
“Gibril hated your novels! He suspected you killed Mohammed Dafar in New York!”
Nick laughed. “I get it. He was a Dafar acolyte. Tell me about how you four connected with this shit-hole masjid to hide in. By the way… I did kill Dafar.”
“We…we trained in the woods up north,” Malik replied dejectedly. “A man named Saran Al-Kadi sent us here to await orders for what we were to do.”
Nick relaxed. “Saran’s Pilot Hill compound trained you assholes and sent all of you here. Good to know.”
Nick killed him with a wrench of his head, breaking Malik’s neck with a sickening crunch. “We’re good to go, guys. Let’s load ‘em.”
Acknowledgement followed Nick’s order. Nick dragged Malik down to the entrance, wrapped in his bedding as he’d done with Malik’s companions. Minutes after Gus and Johnny entered the house, they carted the three corpses out to the Chevy van, owned by the Elm Masjid. Everything after proceeded as planned, complete with Cala the ‘Cleaner’ taking charge of the bodies. They delivered the two vehicles marked for cleaning and recertification to Jerry. In the morning, Nick flew their UH-60 stealth helicopter out over the Pacific Ocean where they deposited the remains of their terrorists from the freezer.
Cala handled the controls on the way back as Nick continued her flying lessons. “I am doing well, huh Muerto?”
“You’re a natural, Cala, and you have no fear. As Laredo often says, that’s a key to piloting anything. Are you ready for lessons, Johnny?”
“No,” Johnny admitted from the back next to Gus. “I will stick to learning how to captain our various boats. Gus is going to teach me and Issac maintenance and repair on our different engine configurations too. Laredo has databases and intricate check lists for all the aircraft. He hopes we can be a self-contained strike force without outside help.”
“That’s a good plan,” Nick replied. “In the coming years, I see a need for being under the radar with nearly everything we do. I think we put a dint in the Islamic Trojan Horse. If we could get the government to quit importing the Muslim horde, we could actually make some headway in this war.”
“Were you ever tempted to make a hit on an American President,” Gus asked.
“Nope. I don’t think any tried to kill me like a couple of senators did. Presidents have term limits. I’d rather see regime change at the ballot box, if we can keep the dead people and illegal aliens from voting. I used to think America couldn’t be harmed by even a bad President in eight years with the system’s checks and balances. I’m not so sure anymore.”
“I think you should reconsider having Cala and I come along with you. We both speak fluid Arabic,” Johnny mentioned.
“I need to do this alone. I don’t want anyone else from here over there, especially you, Johnny. We have you in the clear in the USA, but over there Ebi Zarin is wanted by Interpol and a handful of other law enforcement agencies and secret police. You don’t want Cala caught in a dragnet meant to nab the dangerous Zarin.”
“True,” Johnny admitted. “That would not be good.”
“Does Paul know you’re doing this,” Gus asked.
“Yep. He loaned me a CIA safe-house through Denny’s auspices in Dubai for Khalil to stay at until I get there as I told you. I don’t want Khalil and his sons to be seen at the Atlantis until they’re needed. Khalil believes he can get one of his contacts at the Atlantis to make a keycard to Al-Saud’s suite.”