Cold Blooded II: Killer Moves (Nick McCarty Assassin Series Book 2)
Table of Contents
Title Page
Chapter: Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Cold Blooded: The Nick McCarty Series Book II:
Killer Moves
by
Bernard Lee DeLeo
*****
PUBLISHED BY:
Bernard Lee DeLeo and RJ Parker Publishing Inc
ISBN-13: 978-1499255676
ISBN-10: 1499255675
Cold Blooded: The Nick McCarty Series Book II: Killer Moves
Copyright © 2014 by Bernard Lee DeLeo
*****
License Notes
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be resold or given away to other people. Please respect the author’s work. This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to real life persons, events, or places is purely coincidental.
*****
The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of a copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by fines and federal imprisonment.
Chapter: Prologue
A man the size of a professional football linebacker with sandy hair approached Nick as he greeted Jean. He pointed at Jean. “Is this your little girl, pal?”
Deke the dog had been busily nipping at Jean’s shoes joyously. He turned with a low hum of a growl. Nick had walked down to Jean’s school with Deke as was their custom when escorting her in the afternoon. Nick wrote novels for a living, but he had an alter ego until a few months before – he killed people, people sanctioned by a shadow government group now in turmoil. Nick glanced at Jean, the little eight year old spitting image of her Mom, Rachel. After a coast to coast adventure of murder and mayhem, Nick had garnered the adopted family he had sought to cover for his assassin line of work, but not without cost. His shadow government employer was now in a state of disarray, having tried to sanction Nick unsuccessfully. Nick exchanged grins with Jean, who knew his exceedingly dangerous past very well.
“She is definitely my little girl.” Nick stuck out his hand. “Hi, I’m Nick McCarty.”
The man ignored the gesture, a leering frown spreading as he looked at Nick’s hand with contempt. “I know you. Big time novelist. Listen up, big time. I want her to stay away from my daughter. She’s a bad influence.”
Nick dropped the hand gesture, looking around at the crowd of parents meeting, greeting, and walking off with their children. Although not drawing a lot of attention, the man’s voice and size drew a few curious looks.
“Am not!” Jean countered before Nick could speak. “Lisa’s my friend. I know what you and her Mom are doing is bad.”
“Why you-”
As the man stepped toward Jean, Deke scrambled to put his sixty pound snarling bulk in front of her.
“Best not to make any rude movements,” Nick advised. “Deke doesn’t like people handling Jean. I’m sure we can work this out like adults.”
“Don’t give me any of that writer mumbo jumbo! Just make sure she stays away from Lisa.” The man walked away with only one final glaring look back.
Nick shook his head with a sigh. “Danger, you do know we are in a slightly precarious time with the US Marshal’s service knowing my business and everything, right?”
Jean AKA Danger Girl, glanced at the milling crowd of adults. At eight years old, with a cross country jaunt recently behind her involving witnessing death and torture, she understood survival very well. “I’ll tell you about it on the way home.”
She took Deke’s leash from Nick after shrugging into her school pack. Deke heeled immediately at her side. Nick followed her lead, grinning in admiration. He didn’t know what this drama was all about but he trusted Jean to be on the right side of it. When they were a block away from the school, Jean smiled at Nick.
“Did you duct tape Mom into bed again this morning? I heard her scream at you while I was waiting on the sidewalk.”
“Don’t turn this on me, little missy – no I didn’t. I’ve put my childish pranks behind me. I put Jello in her slippers.”
Jean’s giggle turned into full blown laughter. “You… you should have stuck with the duct tape. Is Mom at work?”
“Yeah, she’s working the noon to eight shift at the café. Now, what have you done to garner an enemy like that gorilla I just met.”
“Lisa’s folks are dealing drugs. When I stayed overnight with her on Saturday a bunch of bad dudes came to their house while we were watching a movie and banged on the door. Lisa’s folks jumped up in a rush from the couch. The Dad answered the door while Lisa’s Mom streaked into their kitchen. She brought out a bag and gave it to these gang-bangers Lisa’s Dad let in. It was drugs because one of the guys warned her Dad it better be good stuff and gave him a bag I figured had money in it.”
Jean made placating hand motions when she saw Nick’s Terminator visage spread over his countenance. “We weren’t in any danger, Dad… honest. I told Lisa later on she should hide when those guys come over, because the gang-bangers could get mad and kill everyone. I guess she must have told her parents. I knew I wouldn’t be able to go back over to her house after that.”
Nick put a hand on Jean’s shoulder. “You did right, Danger. Lisa should take your advice if her parents are dealin’. You’re a natural at imagining all the bad things that can happen.”
“Can’t you do something about it?”
Nick chuckled. “I can’t think of anything that wouldn’t endanger you and your Mom or get me sent to prison. Halloween’s coming. I was looking forward to taking you trick or treating with Deke. So is Gus. He told me he’s never taken anyone trick or treating.”
“I know, but Lisa is my best friend.”
“Think it through, Danger. I can’t waste your best friend’s parents, and I can’t wipe out everyone that would buy drugs from them. Add to that Lisa’s parents will not be easy to turn from the dark side. They’ve had a taste of easy money. If the fact they’re selling out of their home with their own daughter present to dangerous people doesn’t register with them, what the heck can I do to dissuade them?”
“You’ll think of something, Dad. Gus says you’re bored.”
“Gus needs to mind his own business. I’ll think it through but I’m not promising anything. Did you decide on being a witch or that goblin thingy?”
“I’m going with the witch, a pretty witch. Thanks for helping Lisa.”
Nick grabbed Jean’s ponytail, giving it a shake. “Don’t thank me. I probably won’t be able to do anything.”
* * *
Three days later Nick engaged his partner Gus concerning Lisa’s parents.
“Let me get this straight. You’re taking a contract from an eight year old girl?”
Nick glared at Gus who was posturing with his ebony arms folded over his chest, a huge grin of disbelief highlighting his features. “You’re the one that told her I was bored. Wha
t do you think of my plan?”
“I think it’s nuts. We’ve sailed the high seas with you murdering, looting, and pillaging. You’ve gallivanted across country killing and torturing, all so you can have a little family of your own. Now, you’re trying to adjust two drug dealers’ attitudes to do right and put their criminal past behind them. How do you think I feel about your plan?”
“Well sure, it all sounds goofy when you blurt it out like that.”
“Okay, what the hell, I’m in. You do realize we have enough money to hire it done.”
“What fun would that be? It’s a challenge. C’mon, I’ll share my little getaway with you I rigged for something special. This’ll be the perfect test for it.”
Gus clapped a hand on Nick’s shoulder. “Only in Nick-land is this a perfect test. Let’s go. I’m wagering Rachel doesn’t know a damn thing about this, does she?”
“Little doubt about that, my friend. Danger is the tightest lipped little girl in existence so unless you’re planning on spilling the beans, we’re safe from my lovely wife.”
“Yeah right,” Gus replied with a head shake, “I’ll look forward to seeing how that statement works out for you
* * *
“Oh my God… this is just… disturbing.” Gus walked around the bright white room awestruck.
They were in the out of the way house on an acre of land Nick owned in the Carmel Valley. The subbasement Nick had paid a small fortune to build could only be accessed from an entrance in a stand of trees well away from the house. Gurneys were evenly spaced in four sections of the room. Each had its own movable carrier of surgical implements. Everything in the room had been shielded in removable plastic. Nick turned off the white banks of lights which triggered black light banks next to them. Gus gasped. The entire inside walling and ceiling showed horrific images of mutilation and death only visible in black light. Soft music reminiscent of ‘The Exorcist’ began playing.
“I take it all back, partner. It’s not disturbing. It’s you. What do you do, come here to meditate?”
Nick chuckled. “I had it built over the last couple years after seeing the ‘Dexter’ series on TV. Rachel and Danger have been to the house, but you’re the first person I’ve brought down here.”
“Gee, thanks. I see what you mean when you mentioned this would be a good test. If you bring those two down here and they don’t see the light, they’re space aliens. On the other hand, what will you do if they don’t see the light?”
“Turn them into the cops.”
“That’s what you should do now,” Gus replied. “Did you have someone in mind when you created your house of horror?”
“Nope, just hedging my bets if I needed something out of someone I wanted to keep alive. I’ll give this a shot. We go tonight.”
“I’ll go scrounge up a van.”
* * *
Nick positioned Gus behind him and to his right before injecting Lisa’s parents with a boost to wake them up. They were naked and strapped to gurneys side by side. Their captors wore death masks, black gloves, and black hooded robes. The strapped in couple began to stir, and then groan, and then scream.
“Shut up!” Nick ordered, using his mask’s built in voice altering equipment. The couple quieted immediately with only muted sobs sounding from Lisa’s Mom. “Ray and Denise Santiago. I will be your host tonight. Answer only when asked something and hold nothing back. Get unhelpful and my associate and I will begin cutting things off. Are we clear?”
“Yes… yes, anything,” Ray answered.
“We’re recording, so list all your drug suppliers and network members you pass the drugs on to. Don’t forget to tell us meeting places, drops, and phone numbers. We don’t like small timers in our business.”
“You’ll kill us anyway! Please… we’ll tell you everything. Just let us go.”
Nick picked up a scalpel and sliced a shallow cut down Ray’s body from his neck to his groin. Screams filled the room. Denise begged her husband to tell. Ray listed all their contacts in a shaky, terror filled voice along with all requested information.
“Very nice,” Nick said. He turned to Gus. “Shall we let them go?”
Gus laughed. It was a blood curdling sound with his voice altered. “They will be in our business no matter what they say. Cut them up.”
The screams began again with renewed vigor until Nick ordered silence. “I will put you two under again. If you awaken in your house it would be extremely inadvisable to ever touch or distribute any more drugs.”
Nick gave them each another injection. When they passed out, Nick and Gus removed their masks.
“That was fun,” Nick said.
“That was horrifying, you… oh never mind. I’ll give you this much. If you were in charge of the DEA there would be no drug cartels. What next?”
“I sneak Mom and Pop back into their bed, and make a drop to a guy I know in the real DEA. We’ll keep an eye out for residual fallout in the form of gang-bangers angry with not getting their product. I may have to bring a few of them here for some follow-up questions. Main thing though is to see how reformed the Santiagos are.”
Gus glanced down at the unconscious Santiagos for a moment. “Nick, I doubt their reformation is in question. Their sanity is another thing. You are a very bad man, my friend.”
Nick sighed as he unstrapped the Santiagos. “I get an impossible mission and handle it with my usual expertise. What more can I do to satisfy your sensibilities, Gus?”
“Well, at least these two are still alive.”
“See? Who said I can’t show restraint, right?”
“Yeah, Nick, you’re a real peach.”
* * *
“All ready to go, Sabrina?” Nick asked.
“I’m Elvira, Mistress of the Dark,” Jean corrected him. “Where the heck do you get Sabrina out of this outfit?”
Jean was dressed all in black, including fingernails, eye shadow, and her Mom’s black wig. “C’mon, we have to pick up Lisa.”
“That was nice of her parents to let Lisa go trick or treating with us.”
“I don’t know how you did it, Nick, but her parents are so different, all in a couple days.”
“Maybe they saw the light.”
Jean giggled. “Not on their own they didn’t.”
Chapter One
Back to Business
Nick’s index finger’s first pad gently pulled the trigger. Days of excruciating setup in the filthy sand nest bore fruit in the form of his target. Mind numbing hours waiting and hiding in sweat drenched misery ended. The silencer absorbed the noise from the M107 Barrett .50 caliber rifle. Nearly eight hundred yards away, his target’s head painted the adobe compound wall behind him with blood, the body dropping limply without direction into a heap of mottle colored robes. Nick then executed each figure emerging from the compound with cold efficiency until they simply stopped coming out. Five more bodies joined the first before it dawned on the remaining inhabitants that going through the doorway meant instant death. Nick then sighted the darkened doorway. The first head to peek outside received a .50 caliber hollow point death. Nick packed quickly, jogging away from his sniper’s nest after nearly three days of torturous preparation.
Gus Nason stared anxiously at the bleak horizon through his night vision oculars, adorned in full body robes while awaiting his deadly partner. He knew one more day in the Port of Shahid Beheshti would draw unwanted attention to this ill-conceived Iranian hit. For the thousandth time, Gus cursed himself for ragging his blood partner Nick McCarty into getting back to work. Iranian waters would be a nightmare once Nick either completed his mission, or failed at it. Their ship had already been searched with detailed care by the port authorities. Only Gus’s generous bribes allowed them any leeway at all. Having been in port nearly a week, even his happy bribe takers were becoming more suspicious by the hour. Gus tensed as a dirty robed figure, carrying a pack approached the pier. Gus took a deep breath, the gait of his old friend unmistakable. The raun
chy looking figure halted at the plank for boarding the ship.
“Permission to come aboard, Captain Nason!”
With a gasp, Nason leaped over onto the pier, his tall frame landing adroitly next to the petitioner. “Will you please quit fooling around and get on board? I thought you’d be back two days ago.”
Nick smiled into his friend’s dark, scowling face. “Apparently you have been an inattentive student at this human stalking gambit over the years, Gus. Let’s get on board, and heave ho before we attract any visitors. We shall skulk away in the dead of night.”
“This damn mission cost us a fortune to pull off, and we’re not even safe yet.” Gus led the way back aboard their forty-two foot cruiser, The Majid. “Cast off you landlubber.”
“Aye, Captain Jinx.” Nick threw his equipment pack aboard, and did as ordered. He joined Gus on the bridge, waiting until Gus cleared the dock before speaking. “We’re getting paid handsomely for this mission, my friend, but may I remind you it was not I who moaned about our inactivity. You caused me to risk the rage of my pregnant wife, who was already not a happy camper due to her condition.”
Gus steered into the open sea, amused by his deadly friend. “Rachel was a lot more amenable when she only knew you as a cold blooded killer. She owns your ass now though. It’s a lucky thing you have Danger and Deke to protect you.”
At the mention of Nick’s nine year old stepdaughter Jean, AKA Danger Girl, and adopted dog Deke as allies, Nick laughed. “They only back my play when it suits them. Hey… did you just accuse me of being henpecked? I’ll concede the point Rachel has been getting a little bossy since gaining some leverage with having my child. What should I do, Gus… beat her?”
“Yeah, that’ll be the day. What are you going to do when she finds out what this business trip was really all about?”
“The only way she could find out is if you told her. I guarantee that would only happen once. When you rat me out, you’d best get your affairs in order, brother.”
“Don’t blame me when she sees all the signs you’re back at it. Flying into the Emirates supposedly so you could research another Diego assassin novel was pretty thin. I saw the look she gave you before we left. She didn’t buy it at all.”