“I’ll have to talk with my husband.” Suzan finished her wine. Rachel refilled Suzan’s glass, and then her own. “I know better than to call him with something like that. He’ll be home in another three days.”
“You should call about Brewster though,” Nick reminded her. “I don’t want any suspicion on you. I went over his buddies’ stuff. I didn’t find anything tying them in with Tanus Import/Export, so I believe they were going to do just what Joe told me: sell the drives to the highest bidder. If you do get assigned a new guy, would you let me know?”
“I owe you our lives. I’ll tell you if they send a new guy. Do you think it would be possible they’d trust me because I told them Carl was missing?”
“As you already perceived, they’re using you and the kids to keep Jim in line.”
“I probably should lay off the wine.”
“I’ll put the steaks on.” Nick walked over to the counter for the steaks.
“I’ll try to convince Jim to help you.”
“Thank you. I think it’s your only way out.”
“Remember what we talked about,” Nick instructed, crouching next to Rachel. “Only the first pad of your finger touches the trigger. If you wrap the finger, you’ll jerk the shot. Hold the weapon firm, but don’t clutch it like a life buoy in the Arctic Ocean. Last call, Danger, what do you have for readings?”
“No wind, no heat wave, seventy-eight degrees,” Jean called out, spotting for her mom’s shot. “You have a go, Mom.”
Nick watched Rachel’s finger squeeze the trigger. He shifted his attention to the cast iron targets he had placed at two hundred meters. The weapon fired and a moment later the plate clanged.
“Yes!” Jean pumped her fist. “Nice shot, Mom.”
“It’s not even in the same ballpark as the shots Nick makes.”
Nick nodded approvingly as Rachel sat up, excited and tingling all over from having hit the target her first time.
“Over two football fields,” Nick corrected her. “I’d say you did very well. Let’s not get into comparisons. I’ve shot thousands of rounds. You shot once. How was the recoil?”
“Not bad with this recoil pad you gave me.” Rachel touched the shooter’s vest Nick had helped her put on.
“Can I try it, Nick?” Jean asked.
“I don’t think so, Danger. I brought along a twenty-two caliber rifle with a hunter’s load. Without wind, I’m betting you can hit the same target with it. It will actually take more skill, because although the telescopic sight I put on it is accurate to five hundred meters, the.22 hunting slug doesn’t always act predictably beyond a hundred and fifty yards. Spot the rest of this clip for your mom, and then we’ll work on your skills-if it’s okay with her.”
Rachel shrugged. “I’m going to hell anyway.”
“Debatably, the greatest sharpshooter of all time was Annie Oakley,” Nick told Jean. “Annie Oakley was only about five feet tall. She was an expert with rifle, pistol, or shotgun. Annie learned to shoot at age eight with her Dad’s old.40 caliber cap and ball rifle. My.50 caliber sniper rifle is a baby’s toy next to that old Kentucky rifle.”
Jean’s eyes and mouth were getting wider as she reacted to Annie Oakley’s legend the way Nick figured she would.
“Annie outshot every sharpshooter in Europe when she toured with the Buffalo Bill Troupe. More importantly, she brought home food for the table and to trade when she was just a girl. So, Danger, I doubt your Mom will be going to hell because you shot a rifle at age eight. It’s been done before.”
“I’m only seven,” Jean immediately qualified her age. “I’ll be starting before Annie Oakley did.”
“Well, your mom’s a natural, so it probably runs in the family. Maybe you two will get so good, we’ll go on tour as the Terminators.”
“You really are sick, Nick,” Rachel noted as Jean laughed. “Spot me for three in a row Jean and mix up the order. Let’s get this Wild West Show on the road.”
When Rachel turned to the sniper rifle, Deke stuck his nose up the back of her blouse, launching Rachel straight up in the air, much to Nick and Jean’s amusement. Rachel started looking around on the ground and amongst the packs.
“What are you looking for?” Nick asked finally.
“A ball or something this damn dog will chase out in the sand. I think it’s time for some live practice.”
“Don’t listen to your wicked stepmother, Deke.” Nick covered the dog’s ears.
“Quit foolin’ around, Mom. Get shooting. I don’t want to miss my turn.”
“I’m warning you, Deke.” Rachel pointed at the dog, who ‘gruffed’ and pulled on her pant leg. “Some folks think dog meat is a delicacy.”
An hour later, Nick and Jean were packing the gear. Rachel had taken Deke with her for a walk to get away from the noise an un-silenced twenty-two makes. When they were putting their packs on, Rachel led Deke over the small bluff toward them.
“How’d she do?”
“She hit nearly every time.”
“I’m going to be a sniper when I grow up,” Jean announced. She giggled at Rachel’s stunned expression. “I knew that would push your button.”
“I blame you for this, Mr. Oakley.” Rachel turned on Nick, who had been laughing, but now was retreating with hands up in surrender fashion.
Nick changed the subject. “It’s getting hot. Let’s go see if I can rent our Excalibur Cabana.” He started hiking toward where they had left the Escalade. “We’ll see if Suzan and her kids want to meet us there. If you wear your ball cap, and look inconspicuous enough, maybe I’ll let you toss in a few quarters at the slot machines, Wonder.”
“I’m not liking these nicknames,” Rachel muttered, falling in behind Nick, with Jean and Deke bringing up the rear.
“You could be Nikita,” Nick suggested, stopping to glance back at Rachel.
“Who?” Rachel thought he looked unusually surprised as she and Jean reacted without recognition to the name.
“Oh, come on, you never saw the ‘La Femme Nikita’ television show?”
Rachel blushed, remembering, while Jean continued to look mystified. Deke began jumping around as if he recognized the name.
“La Femme Nikita was a TV program about a secret organization, where Nikita killed people for some pseudo government organization,” Rachel explained.
“That is so cool!” Jean exclaimed. “I like it way better than Wonder Woman. Nick and Nikita, assassins for hire. I like it.”
Nick and Rachel exchanged glances. Nick started walking again, throwing his hands in the air. “Okay, I’m going to hell. I’m doomed.”
Rachel mouthed ‘you are the one’, and high-fived Jean behind Nick’s back. Nick looked around, sensing something. Rachel and Jean were looking at the ground as they followed him. Rachel peeked up in time to see him shake his head and continue on.
“I think I’ve been served,” he called out over his shoulder.
Chapter Thirteen
“Thanks for inviting us.” Suzan toasted Nick and Rachel with her iced tea glass. “I didn’t think you two would want to socialize with me.”
The three were relaxing inside the cabana Nick had rented again at the Excalibur while watching the kids swim. Nick made sure Jean, Kelly, and Garth had pool floats, dive batons, and dive masks to keep them entertained.
“We needed to talk, and the kids like the pool. Did you contact your husband about Brewster?”
“Yes, last night. Jim said he’d inform his bosses. He told me he’s still planning on being home Thursday. I’ll explain your idea then. Have you talked to your Marshall contacts?”