Free Cold Blooded III: Sins and Sanctions (Nick McCarty Assassin Series Book 3) by Bernard Lee DeLeo Page A

Boston. Cinny worked slowly over many months to gain trust and familiarity. Ebi Zarin began paying close attention to her. They dated under the stringent code under which she swore to abide in her conversion to Islam. She recorded everything that went on inside the Center.”
    “So what made her suspect this Ebi Zarin?”
    “One of the guys she saw him speak with at the Center was James Sherazi, a main FBI suspect in the Isis cell. They were to get a search warrant covering Zarin’s communications, bank accounts, and surveillance. Cinny disappeared the day after. They found her in the Charles River Basin. She’d been shot in the back of the head with a .22 caliber. Zarin had an airtight alibi, of course. He played the heartbroken lover card.”
    “Were they living together?”
    “No. It would have blown her cover. I never got to talk with her during the assignment. Cinny was to have been shunned by her family for being interested in Islam.”
    Nick listened to the parameters the poor dead girl abided by, only to be murdered anyway. He had no doubt Stallings was right about Zarin. With the threats made promising attacks by hidden cells inside America by Isis and Hamas, Nick could understand why Paul steered Stallings his way, but not the circumstances. Gilbrech had something else in mind besides justice, or helping out an old Marine buddy.
    “You do understand I don’t serve search warrants or bring people to justice, right?”
    Stallings nodded. “Believe me. Paul made that abundantly clear. He told me if I was desperate enough to call you, and wanted to remain breathing when this ended, I was not to interfere or remember anything concerning your actions.”
    “How do you feel about that, Barry?”
    “Like I’m in way over my head, but I want this guy dead. I’m a cop with a family. The FBI already questioned Zarin. He gave them nothing. I don’t have a clue what course I could take to get the real killer that wouldn’t put me in prison. In addition to my wanting to avoid prison, I have no experience with terrorist cells, or interrogations. I expected when Cinny was killed, there would be FBI agents tearing her murder case apart. Instead, they brought in Zarin, asked him a few questions, and went away. Maybe you could tell me what the hell happened.”
    “I’ll check the disc and get in touch with you later.”
    “It’s in Farsi, I think.”
    “I speak Farsi, Arabic, and Pashtu. I’ll call if I find something new. If not, I’ll have to question Zarin. I probably will anyhow, but I’d like to have some information before I do. I’m glad you didn’t let them sweep this under the rug. If an Isis cult is linked to the Hamas group blamed for the USS Constitution bombing threat, it means Boston is still a target.”
    “Thank you. Call me at any hour, Nick.”
    The men shook hands. “I will.” No, I won’t .
    * * *
    Rachel and Jean with Deke at their sides boxed Nick in as he sat at the room desk with his satellite linked laptop. He ignored their coughs, mutters, and throat clearings while his fingers sped across the keys, causing constantly changing windows of information and mug shots. Rachel bopped him in the back of his head, drawing a giggle from Jean, and a sigh from Nick.
    “So much for the break in the action, Muerto. We want to know what you have to say for yourself.”
    Nick turned in the chair, taking Deke part way on his lap, scratching the dog’s rear end as he liked. Nick chuckled as Deke put his nose in the air with contented ecstasy. “Okay, Deke’s happy. Would you like me to scratch your butt too, Rach?”
    It took a few moments for Nick’s fem force to recover from his comedic offer with Rachel faking a full blown choke hold on Nick. That ended quickly as the happy Deke turned feral at the cause of his rear end scratching being curtailed. He had Rachel’s right hand in his mouth gently with an all business snarl within seconds. Rachel disengaged, pointing at her dog with tight