Nick gave him a hotshot of death in the neck. “No thanks, Conrad. I’m sick of you already, but you were helpful enough to get your relief from pain. Besides… someone in authority would want to use your ass. I don’t want to see you over my shoulder someday. I have enough problems as is.”
Nick waved as the shot robbed Conrad of motor function and life, the startled look on his face fading to grim acknowledgement of death. He shrugged at his friends. “I know… I know… with patience who knows what we could have gotten. These asshole invaders trigger my barf reflex with their crap. Hell… if I gave a damn… they’d be the injured parties. We’re practically escorting them into the country. Islam births new atrocities every day, and we’re still bussing them in to protect them from themselves. Really! Let the mongrels eat each other alive in the sand. I don’t care!”
Johnny came over to put a hand on Nick’s shoulder. “I hear you, brother. Cala and I are done with Islam. We can worship God in our own way. We do not need to be even innocent worshippers of such an unrepentant and silent host of tragedy. It matters not about this worshipper of death. What will be our next step, Muerto?”
“We don’t know how many banditos Al-Kadi has on the site of this sixteen acre place,” Gus added. “I know you believe in ‘One Riot, One Ranger’ but we have to be realistic if success is a goal.”
“When you have a Muslim horde problem, and you don’t have any other choice, who you gonna’ call?” Nick paused for effect. “The Monster Squad! I’ll call Paul. We need official backing for this. If we get it, he can call Denny Strobert. I’ll call John personally to prep him. I don’t even know if they’re available for an op like this so soon after the ‘Starlight’.”
“Issac still wants a part, Muerto,” Gus said.
Nick noticed the uneasy stance his partner stiffened to while talking about his copilot on the ‘Starlight’ op. “I thought Issac wanted to return home to St. Lucia and buy a business.”
“He’s like us, Muerto. He can do more than one thing. We can fly him back here in no time. Issac wants to continue the helicopter training he’s already completed, in addition to his skill at piloting a boat.”
“I admit it,” Nick replied. “Issac interests me. What’s his angle in all of this? St. Lucia, named by the French, absorbed by the English in war, and carries on with English common law. They’re a sovereign nation now. What does he want with throwing in with us on black ops? I’m sure he understands the dangers, especially when I paid him off after the ‘Starlight’ op. I explained how close we came to being blown to kingdom come by the Iranians.”
Gus chuckled with a helpless hand gesture. “He thought we conjured up the F-18 Superhornets when the Iranian jets arrived. Issac was lost. He watched the F-18’s dust those Iranian Migs and barrel roll over us in triumph like a six month old puppy with a piece of steak. I explained as I know you did that we were seconds away from death when they arrived. Issac loved the adrenaline rush. He also loves the money.”
“Yep.” Nick and Johnny unstrapped room temperature Conrad into a body bag for Cala the Cleaner to prepare for burial at sea in pieces. “Nothing wrong with pursuing the money trail. Issac does his job. He didn’t panic either. I’m thinking he would be a good candidate for flying lessons on a larger scale than helicopters. It’s good he went back home for a while to see what he can stir up on St. Lucia. We’ll call him if something arises we could use him for. Let’s put Conrad in the freezer. I need to get home, write another thousand words while I sip a couple, and call Paul. If he’s interested, I’ll call John. I’m glad since we had a joint venture you’ve adopted the Johnny tag, Kabong.”
“I love that ‘Short Circuit’ movie. I make a much better Johnny Five than Harding does. I like Johnny better and so does Cala. Done deal.”
“Fine,” Gus replied, “but lose the ‘Johnny Five’ declaration.”
“Blow it out your clown ears, Payaso,” Johnny told him. “Johnny Five tones down for no one, minion of the T-Rex.”
“Don’t start that again. Tina doesn’t like that tag.”
Johnny gave Gus a hand flick. “Yeah? So what’s your point? T-Rex doesn’t consider our feelings when she goes postal on us for something. She keeps calling Muerto, Gomez. We’re not the Addam’s Family, although Muerto calling her Cousin Itt suits her pretty well.”
“We can take it. She can’t, and then I have to hear about it at home.”
“Tina’s caustic, Payaso,” Nick said. “She does suit you very well though. You have to admit, Kabong, Tina was on her best behavior on our pirate cruise mission aboard the ‘Starlight’.
“Sure, because it is very difficult to whine about a royal suite aboard the most luxurious ocean liner on the high seas. Plus… she didn’t have Payaso to torture. Without her life’s work aboard of annoying Payaso, T-Rex couldn’t fill her time with the usual mundane things such as whining, ordering Payaso around, and beating him with a stick.”