“Just ahead,” Cala replied, driving to a spot off the road, nearly barren of traffic on the way toward Lighthouse Avenue.
Nick got out quickly, ran around and ripped the live hoodie from under the seat. Cala waited with the rear door open for Nick to shove him into a sitting position on the rear seat. A moment later, Cala drove away from the roadside again. Nick fixed the man into the seatbelt. The hoodie absorbed the blood from Nick’s pistol whipping, where it had coagulated to glue the material at the side of the man’s head. Nick buckled him in with his hands already restrained at his back. He slapped the man into groaning consciousness. The man’s eyes blinked as his head swayed from side to side in pain. Only after a few more minutes of groans and moans did the man start trying to form words.
“What the fuck you do me for?”
Nick used his stun-gun on the man’s groin, causing him to jackknife upwards with a scream. Cala giggled, keeping the vehicle steadily moving. “No stupid questions. I’ll keep it simple for you. The next bad answer or stupid question and I will toast your nuts for thirty seconds of hell. Do you understand?”
“Yeah… yeah… don’t zap me!”
“First. How did you know to find me at Otter’s Point beach?”
“My boss knows all your hangouts. He tell me you and your friends are always at the Point in the mornings. He say cap your ass and anyone with you there. I picked up Calista and Morgan when they were let go. We came after you the moment they got released. Man… nobody say you was a killer, blood. Can’t you let me go? I ain’t in this killin’ shit.”
“What’s your boss’s name?”
“Carone… Fernando Carone.”
“Did he call you personally?” Nick knew if the minion with him said Carone called him personally it would be a lie.
“No, man… Carone call nobody. He get his boy, Hector, to call me from his boat. They anchored off the coast some place.”
“When Hector told you to bring Calista and Morgan to kill me, did he say why?”
“He tol’ me you a local fud, stickin’ your nose in Carone business. He don’t know you a killer. Who the fuck are you, man? Carone never give up when he got a problem. He send King Kong and Godzilla to get you if he have to.”
Both Cala and Nick shared amusement over their captive’s declaration. “What’s your name, homeboy?”
“Jarrod. Let me go, man.” Jarrod saw in Nick’s eyes he would not be living past the day. He shook his head more in self-loathing than outrage. “Shit! I knew it… I tol’ Calista this was bad Juju.”
“I can help you to the other side without pain,” Nick replied. “I have only a couple more questions. Were you a member of Jay Park’s crew?”
“No… a guy named Biff hired me to drive. I used to ‘bang in Salinas, but the money with Carone was double anything I ever got. All I had goin’ was to follow instructions. Biff and his boy Ray in town too. They killers. You best pray they don’t find out what you done. They mobbed up down in East LA for a cartel in one of those Flamingo countries.”
Nick put a comforting hand on Jarrod’s shoulder. “Ah… thank you for your concern. I hope Biff and Ray weren’t your besties or anything. I already guided them into hell earlier.”
Jarrod’s eyes widened, staring at Nick in shock. “You did Biff and Ray both… man… what the fuck are you… the reaper?”
“Wrong movie,” Cala giggled from the front. “He’s Muerto, the Terminator.”
“Oh shit!” Jarrod’s chin dropped to his chest. “We fucked with the Unholy Trio. I…I seen those videos. Please… don’t do me like those guys.”
Nick injected Jarrod with the hotshot Johnny gave him before they split up. He watched Jarrod stiffen with eyes wide before slowly relaxing into his smiling journey to hell. “You earned a quickie, homeboy. Say hello to Biff and Ray for me. Tell them no hard feelings, it was just business.”
Jarrod’s eyes closed for the last time, his mouth trying to form a last response.
“I think the cruise tomorrow will be very important,” Cala commented.
“Yep. We have to get after this Carone guy. We don’t want him to have a chance to send King Kong and Godzilla after me.”
*
Rachel lay on her side, panting as Nick stroked her side lightly, causing her to shudder. “What did you do to me?”
“A little of everything.”
Rachel turned in his arms, pulling Nick in close to her. He kissed her with the tenderness of a lover’s care. “God… I love you.”