Payaso and Kabong started laughing, as did Cala the Cleaner.
“Okay… I get it… what happened, and why wasn’t I told about it?”
“You went back to college when Paul called me with a kill mission. He wondered if the ‘Unholy Trio’ could erase the compound from existence,” Nick answered. “I told him sure, but we’d need massive cleanup. Paul agreed to have a bulldozer team ready to smooth things over after we finished. The Monster Squad was on another gig. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have done it alone.”
“It was my first kill mission as pilot,” Cala said. “It was glorious! We struck in the dead of night with the Stealth UH-60M. At a mile away, we blasted ‘The Ride of the Valkyries’ so loud the buildings in the compound shook. They didn’t know what was coming. I fired off the M139 Volcano dispenser on the first pass.”
“Good Lord,” Jean whispered.
Cala smiled, nodding her head. “Yes, it was quite impressive. I nearly obliterated the compound with all forty of the mine canisters. The second pass we fired AGM-144 Hellfire missiles. The third pass, we used the XM25 rocket launcher and GAU-18A .50 caliber machine gun to…to… ah-”
“Salt the earth,” Nick finished for her.
“Yes! I was very good at piloting our ‘Death Star’.”
“We have our own AC-130J ‘Ghostrider’ now though, as does the Monster Squad,” Johnny said. “We will employ both and have the ‘Death Star’ on hand if we need to do a gentle cleansing.”
“I have the exact coordinates for three snipers’ nests, Muerto has already been over,” Gus said. “We did a recon of the area last night before the meeting as we explained before you came, Quinn. Nick and Rachel will be at one, Lucas and Casey on another. There’s an opening for a third, Sonny.”
“I’ll take it.” Sonny paused, wondering if he should go on. Jean jarred him with a shoulder. “Benny wants in. He’s perfect for my spotter, Dad.”
“No damn way!” Rachel stood, staring right at Jean with hands on hips. “This is your doing, Scarface!”
Jean waved her off. “Sit down, Trashy. Benny’s been training constantly. He’s begging for a chance in combat. Quinn started off as a spotter. Give him an opportunity. We’ll have him covered.”
Nick yanked gently on Rachel’s arm. “Benny deserves a shot, babe. You’ve seen him. He’s as good a spotter as you are, with a sixth sense for wind and air change, not to mention he’s a genius at math.”
“Ben wants to be a doctor,” Quinn added. “He wants to do it in combination with joining the Marines.”
“Jesus…” Rachel whispered, sitting down again in slump shouldered defeat. “We’re doomed.”
“You must have missed the part about Ben wanting to be a doctor along with being a Marine, Ma,” Quinn said.
“That is great,” Nick said. “Your Mom needs a little time to absorb the reality part. We could use a medic. We’re all okay at field dressings, but a surgeon would be a real plus, right Rach?”
Rachel shrugged as Tina handed her a glass of wine which she drank half of before speaking. “I guess so. Benny’s gone through so much… why the hell do we have to adopt him into our combat wing?”
“He’s Ben McCarty now, Trashy,” Jean stated. “Okay… he’s in as Sonny’s spotter. We’re set for this, Dad. When do we move the pieces into place?”
Nick smiled. “Tomorrow morning.”
*
Quinn grinned as he heard Clint Jr. and Lynn trading barbs as they waited in place near the terrorist community of Ramoi with a strike force of Quinn, Clint, Lynn, and Lynn’s minions: Gus Denova, Quays Tannous, and Sylvio Ruelas. They also deployed armored vehicles in strategic spots near the entrances into the Daesh training camp with Tommy Sands, Jess Brown, and Devon Constantine as drivers. Jess and Tommy would block the approach, ready to move in for quick extraction. Devon was the secondary force’s ride inside to support Johnny, Cala, and Jean. Jafar and Samira waited in the UH-60M helicopter. Also at the ready near them Laredo Sawyer remained at the same hangar and private air field with extended runway Nick had purchased near Gilroy. Laredo flew the AC-130J Ghostrider with Gus Nason in the copilot’s seat, working weapons. John Harding piloted the other UH-60M with Issac Leon next to him.
“Get your damn head in the game, Jr!”
Clint Jr. glanced at Quinn with a big grin. He was six foot, three inches of ripcord tough, crew cut killer. “Hey Ma, your vagina is showing. Maybe you better sit this one out, Betty.”
Clint only managed to grab his wife in a last second clutch as she launched toward her son. “Easy…easy, Lynn. He nailed you again. You’re giving him combat instructions when he’s Marine Recon like Quinn.”