“We will go with you, Muerto,” Johnny said.
“No can do, Kabong. You and Cala are too valuable here. I’ll have to do Al-Saud alone. It will all be easier that way. I have contacts there and a Mossad agent I collaborated with. He couldn’t figure a way to get at the Syrian General without an international incident. Frank put me in touch with him. We shared intel and I completed the contract at sea without a trace. He’ll help me if he’s still stationed in Dubai.”
“I can go with you, Muerto,” Gus said.
“No you can’t. You don’t speak the lingo. If I have to take Al-Saud at the Atlantis Hotel, I’ll have to infiltrate as a worker or something. Besides, you have to assume leadership of the Unholy Trio in my absence, Payaso.”
“I don’t like it.”
Nick shrugged. “I’ll be careful. It will be an important message to establish about coming anywhere near me in the future without an invitation.”
“I hate to mention this, Muerto,” Johnny said, “but although the Saudi Royal Family squabble and back-bite, they will take it badly when finding out about the assassination of an Al-Saud.”
“I’ll make sure they know it was an Al-Kadi contract – just business, nothing personal, Johnny. It’s just business.”
Johnny immediately lowered his head. “Yes… Godfather.”
*
On the balcony, Nick finished writing the scene in his new Diego novel with a satisfied flourish of dark humor. Leo and Jed discovered their femme fatale partner, Fatima, planning yet another behind the back ploy to betray Diego while hiding out in their Caribbean safe-house. Knowing his lover intimately both in mind and body, Diego listened with amusement to Leo and Jed’s warnings. Diego explained how the trap backfired already, with local authorities on his payroll tipped off in time to nab both Fatima and her accomplices.
Nick leaped out of his chair, spilling Deke off his shoes, as Rachel slapped him in the back of the head while Jean giggled. Sonny, sitting next to her, studiously looked away. “You betrayed Fatima! How could you? She’s the best thing that’s ever happened to Diego, you jerk!”
Putting aside his angst at how he had allowed his wife to ninja approach him, read over his shoulder, and attack him, Nick made calming gestures. “It’s part of the story. I don’t deserve to be slapped around for writing pulp fiction. You do understand these people are not real, right?”
“I thought ‘Blood Beach’ would be a deepening romance between Diego and Fatima,” Rachel replied, folding arms over chest. “You have imagination. Use it, you block-head.”
It took both Nick and the kids a few moments to recover composure after Rachel’s verbal smack-down. Deke sat uneasily, watching his two human companions with furrowed canine brow, face tilted in questioning pose. “I’m the writer. If you don’t like my story, write your own, shrew.”
Rachel gasped. “You called me a shrew! That’s it! Put ‘em up, Muerto. It is so on. I’m going to kick your ass right in front of the kids.”
Rachel dropped into fighting stance, her hands in boxer like position, ready to punch or defend. When Nick started laughing, she launched a respectable jab towards his head. He caught it in one fist. When she couldn’t pull it back, Rachel tried a right cross with her other hand. Nick caught that one too with Deke yipping next to him. He glanced down.
“She started it.”
Deke ‘grumpfed’ and nudged Nick’s leg.
“Okay… okay.” Nick forced Rachel into a chair while she unsuccessfully tried to yank free of Nick’s hold on her fists. “I’ll let her go, but only because you asked. Want a beer, Deke?”
Deke leaped from side to side as the awakening Quinn squealed in delight from his swing chair. Rachel relaxed as Nick released her. “Brute.”
Nick retrieved three beers from the refrigerator and poured Deke one in his bowl. He took the other two over to the table. “Want a shot to sip with it, babe?”
“I might as well. That’s how abused women handle their lot in life, right?”
“Absolutely.” Nick served the shots. He sat down, holding his in toasting pose. “I’m not killing Fatima off. It’s all part of a larger plot. You can’t critique me on content until you’ve edited to the end. I’m not even there yet.”
Rachel toasted with him as Jean and Sonny smirked in quiet observance. “I’ll wait until I finish. You’re not giving Fatima even a hint of trustworthiness. Now you have Leo and Jed distrusting her.”
Nick shook his head slowly from side to side. “That’s because she is untrustworthy. Fatima will have to earn their respect again. They will forgive but not forget.”
Deke’s ears perked as he looked toward the balcony entrance a moment before the doorbell chimes announced visitors. Nick checked his security screen on the balcony. “I’ll get it. Our guests have arrived. Think about what we’ll order for dinner.”