“Do a quick scan of this. We may be able to post it into the police website if the info helps distract from my Kader culling of the herd.”
Ten minutes later as Gus drove along slowly towards Nick’s house, Johnny removed his headphones. “Ishmael confessed to the attempt on your life as ordered by elders in the family and an outside group with Isis ties. He claims they would have killed his wife and kids if he had not went along with it. Ishmael spoke plainly he did not expect to survive the attack. I have found nothing yet expanding on anything that would jeopardize what you did tonight. In fact, once I go through the entire recording I will bounce it around and post it to the police.”
“Maybe I won’t have the cops beating on my door after all. There will be no more school walks. I’ll be driving Jean and Sonny to school from now on. Deke will have to walk with me down to the beach for his outings. That was a very close call with the Kader hit attempt. Did Ish mention names, Johnny?”
“Yes, but three of them are now dead. They were in the house you relieved me of in-laws at and acquired this marvelous thumb-drive of proof. One other family name resides in New York. He was the one who sent the three you killed. Another interesting thread concerns the Pilot Hill compound of Al-Kadi. Although Ishmael didn’t know their names, he said two other men sent from New York stay at the compound. The elders threatened his family, claiming the cell would take vengeance on Ishmael’s wife and kids. By sending the two assassins to accompany the Kader relatives they left Ish with very little room to maneuver. He should have called me.”
“Good Lord,” Gus muttered. “The comedians make jokes about mother-in-law problems. This is ridiculous. By the way… no one talks of the moms. Where is Dimah’s mom? Johnny, where the hell is Cala’s mom? Do they ever speak on behalf of the children their husbands wish to sell into slavery and murder?”
“It is not a subject we discuss,” Johnny admitted as Gus stopped in front of Nick’s house. “Cala claims both mothers supported their husbands with the same vitriol and wailing support of anything destroying America. They have turned their own sons to the dark side. Cala tried to talk with her brother. He told her if he sees her he will kill her on sight. I have decided to relieve him of his life but Cala asked me to hold off from doing so for a time.”
“Let me know,” Nick said. “Dimah has expressed the same request. The males in the family get no special exceptions from this point on. Ask Cala if she would like us to teach her brother about shooting his mouth off down in the chamber of horrors.”
Johnny grinned at Nick. “Yes. It will be as you ask, Muerto. Cala can take care of herself but I worry he will catch her unawares.”
“We cannot lose the ‘Cleaner’, Johnny,” Nick replied, getting out of the vehicle. “If Cala sees the brother in the chamber of horrors, she can ask him anything she likes once. Then, we’ll know which way the brother will go. If we see any animosity toward Cala after he hears her plea to remember they have blood ties, we will try the hard way. After that, he sleeps with the fishes.”
Johnny chuckled. “Yes, Godfather. Shall we meet at the Point after Jean and Sonny get to school for a discussion of coming events, complete with the Deke and the Irish?”
“Of course, dog brother. Will you be joining us, Payaso?”
“Yes, dog brother, if I’m allowed to come out and play by the infamous T-Rex.”
Chapter Eight
Back to School
Jean sat with disgruntled frown and arms crossed in the front seat while Nick drove. Nick could see Sonny smiling in the backseat. Deke sat happily with his head hanging out the window, tongue lolling in the breeze. The decision to drive from now on to school did not sit well with Jean who openly preferred gun battles to peaceful transfer to the school grounds.
“You’re getting to be a spoiled brat, Jean,” Sonny stated.
“What?! Oh…my…God… Sonny Salvatore! You did not just disrespect me with the S word!”
“Yeah… I did. You deserve it, you little whiney wart,” Sonny finished with a flourish. “Your Dad’s trying to protect us. You were nearly killed the other morning. I care about you! I don’t want you killed because you insist on being an idiot!”
Nick grinned. The two carried on conversations as if they were twenty instead of ten. He could tell Sonny’s words about caring for her silenced Jean. He could see the myriad retorts she wanted to zing him with floating across the Daughter of Darkness’s features. “Sonny’s right, kid. You’re not bait in a trap. Once I make sure the threat is gone we’ll walk again together with Deke. Until then, it’s not happening.”