“We don’t have the results back yet on the dart they used, but if it’s poison as we suspect, the police will want to talk with you. It would be best to go speak with them first and get ahead of this,” Tommy advised.
“I’ll do that.” Rock noted my Monster Squad eyeballing him like a big juicy piece of prime rib. “We’ll leave now. I know you’ve heard the UFC plans on making it mandatory for the winner of my fight with ‘Berserker’ to fight you. I’m working to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
“I don’t blame you,” Tommy replied. “We’re aware fighting in the cage under the Las Vegas lights will be different than John plucking your heart out in the parking lot. Backing Knowly cost you ten grand. Don’t approach John anymore. You have my number and Alexi’s. Call one of us if you need someone to contact concerning fights. Is that clear?”
“Yes. May we leave now?”
I stood, gesturing the way was clear. Rock and his men filed past the Monster Squad, eyes on the door. “Thanks, T.”
“It was nothing. I didn’t think our Oakland PD bar should be the scene of a triple homicide. Otherwise, I would have been interested in seeing you mulch the Rock out back. I hope they let us know about the test results soon. I imagine that will make Crue’s interrogation tomorrow interesting.”
“It couldn’t have been anything but poison. If Crue and the guys hadn’t spotted the Nejems looking up, I’d be dead. They wouldn’t have plotted the dart-gun guy episode to drug me. Jack would have stopped the fight. They wanted me dead. We’ll find out tomorrow. Let’s have a drink. I’m not overdoing it either. There’s too much going on around here.”
“Agreed.” Tommy followed me over to the bar.
Denny had slipped in during my Rock encounter. “The dart was tipped with enough curare to kill an elephant. The police have all Knowly’s crew in custody as accomplices to murder, including Knowly, who won’t be discharged from the hospital until morning. Since it was attempted murder on a federal agent by the Nejems, whom I’ve had listed on the terrorist watch list, we keep them. Two of Daddy Nejem’s men are here illegally, of course.”
“I’m betting Daddy gives me a name. He didn’t finance this hit himself or initiate the plot,” Lynn said. “One thing – no one bothers Amara with this crap. Daddy and the boys are going bye/bye. I remember Nick mentioning a problem with Cala’s Kader relatives consorting with terrorists. I’m wondering if we don’t have a similar situation. These bastards have a network, which is why we should be shutting off all flow of the cult into our damn country.”
“Paul and I harp about just that at every closed door meeting. We don’t know why the hell we can’t convince these idiots in DC to listen. We have proof of every nightmare imaginable concerning terrorist infiltration and motives. No one listens. We only managed a few concessions on the ports after the China Basin incident.”
“Sooner or later we won’t be able to kill them fast enough,” Clint remarked. “The Nejem family will not be part of the new Caliphate when our idiot representatives allow it to happen. They leave the earth tomorrow. Period.”
“If we’re taking the Nejems on a final cruise, we better poke Mellow Yellow for his training session,” Tommy said.
“I have the weekend off.” Thoughts of the Bay wiped away my buzz in a heartbeat.
“Sorry, DL,” Tommy replied, not sorry at all. “The heavyweight championship will be on the line. It’s the banana suit for you tomorrow.”
“Shit!”
Chapter Five
Game On
Daddy Nejem gave us the name of his backer before we could take him from the holding cell. The surprise he named Al-Kadi, the guy we planned a mission on, did not seem to faze Denny. “I don’t see any sticker shock on your features, Den. Do you know something we don’t?”
Clint, Lynn, Denny, and I joined the minions this morning at Pain Central. The Nejem final cruise would follow the interrogation, but there wasn’t any reason to call in the others on a Sunday. Tommy would join us at the dock for my torture session. Right now, we were busily recording everything Amara’s Father knew. When he began repeating himself, I stopped him.
“Thanks. That will do for now.” I helped him to his feet, guided him into the interrogation room where the minions already prepared Lynn’s tools. He began to struggle when I placed him on our specially outfitted gurney.
“What are you doing? I have told you everything!”