“I’m thinking this partnership is over.”
“If your Dad hadn’t been watching our backs, the partnership would be dead for real,” Sonny retorted. “I better get home. I have another undercover gig watching my parents. They’ve been huddling together formulating some new scheme. I think it’s just a real estate ‘house flipper’ plot.”
“I’ll walk you home and give the Dekester another outing to get rid of the beer he inhaled.” Nick smiled at Deke jumping around, having heard the magic word walk. “Are you coming, Viper?”
“I guess so.”
“I shall drive all the lushes home.” Cala stood, patting Johnny on the shoulder. Would you like us to send Neil the files and do the Nazari background check, Muerto?”
“Sure, if you don’t mind. I-” Nick’s phone beeped. He saw it was John Harding. “What’s the good word?”
“We’re heading your way with the Valkyrie tomorrow. I snagged the best underwater communications gear around. It’s much better than the ones we had in Chabahar. We’re thinking tomorrow night for our approach.”
“We’ll be ready. See you then.” Nick disconnected. “The Tempest op is a go for tomorrow night.”
“Issac arrives tomorrow morning,” Gus said. “We’ll need him if we get the Tempest in one piece. He’ll help me get the ship north to Monster Island.”
“We can leave him aboard to watch our ship with a professional crew until we get done at Pilot Hill. We’ll move it toward Monster Island though after we search for any trackers they may have on board. John may want to leave the Valkyrie with the Tempest once we get to another anchor spot.”
“Do you think they’ll try and recapture her?”
“We’ll know once Cruella Deville interrogates Carone. Until then, we take nothing for granted. I want the ship reregistered and named the moment we get control, depending on damage. Do you have any other ideas of what to rename her? Lucas suggested ‘Ranger’.”
“Yeah, I liked Lucas’s suggestion. He told me on the USS Ranger Aircraft Carrier they used to play the Lone Ranger theme song, the William Tell Overture whenever they met with another ship or ported. We could add it to our ‘Ride of the Valkyries’ and ‘Jaws’ theme.”
“Not bad, Gus. I’ll suggest it to John.”
“I was thinking of Infidel’s Revenge,” Johnny said.
Nick chuckled. “We may as well blow it up ourselves.”
Chapter Six
Monster Pirates
The full face masks incorporated GPS digital programming and wireless communications. Nick and John swam fifteen feet below the surface toward the Tempest with steady flutter kicks. The dry-suits were thick enough to provide comfort in the cold water. A towing pod with negative buoyancy controls streamed behind the two men, strapped to each man’s waist belt. It carried weapons and munitions along with Kevlar vests. They had tested communications after rappelling from the Stealth helicopter nearly two miles from the Tempest. With communications established and working on the masks, they maintained silence to make certain their communications did not get hacked into accidentally. The sliver of moon peeked from the cloud cover only intermittently, which suited their needs perfectly.