Gangsters Wives (14 page)

‘Eddie's got them in safe deposit boxes.'

‘Have you ever used a gun?' asked Niki.

‘Not until the other day. I loaded one of the pistols and went down Epping Forest for a practice. I'm still half deaf.'

‘Guns scare me,' said Kate.

‘Me too,' Poppy chimed in. ‘It's a mad idea.'

‘So is running off to sheep shagging, wild and woolly Wales,' said Sadie.

‘It's not so mad,' said Niki. ‘I could teach you. I know weapons. I've fired an Uzi. Poppy, what about it?'

‘If you say so Niki. I don't like it, but whatever you want to do I'll back you up. You know that.'

‘Are you scared?'

‘Terrified.'

‘Don't worry, I'll protect you. I love you, I'm not going to let anything hurt you.'

‘You're all crazy,' said Kate. ‘Coming from a gangster's wife is who sleeping with a copper, that's rich,' said Sadie.

‘Suppose you're right,' said Kate, finishing her glass of wine and shaking the empty bottle. ‘Do you reckon they do Irish coffee here?'

When the girls finally staggered out into the late afternoon sunshine they agreed to make a meet in two days time at Sadie's place. ‘If I've still got a fucking place,' she said as she headed for her car. ‘Unless the bleedin' bailiffs come in, or some cunt puts in an offer.'

‘Show ‘em your stocking tops,' said Poppy. ‘That'll give ‘em something to think about.'

‘Give ‘em a shag,' said Sadie. ‘Done that already.'

‘How do you mean?'

Sadie explained and the other girls almost collapsed with laughter.

‘Glad you think it's funny,' said Sadie. ‘Worst fuck of my life.'

Niki grabbed her by the arm as she was getting into the motor. ‘Are you going to get those guns?' she said.

‘Yeah,' replied Sadie.

‘Want us to come with you?'

‘No. Going in mob-handed we'll be remembered. I'll slob myself up a bit. Don't worry, it'll be all right.'

‘Just be careful. I hear the British cops don't like automatic weapons.'

‘I'll be good,' said Sadie. ‘See you Thursday.'

The next day she dressed in an old Juicy velour tracksuit, greased her hair down and wore big sunglasses when she went to the two banks where the guns and ammo were stored. She took an old rucksack and a leather holdall with her.

At the first bank she carefully put the weapons into the back pack and transferred them to her car. She felt that all eyes were upon her as she went from the bank to the car park, but all was well.

At the second bank the official who brought in her drawer said. ‘This is heavy, feels like a lead weight.'

How right you are thought Sadie, but she said, ‘Family jewels love. Things have gone pear shaped. Got to hock the lot. Don't worry, it won't weigh much when you take it back.' And it didn't, as she'd transferred all the ammunition to the holdall which she could hardly lift, it weighed so much. But she managed, and drove home feeling confident the plan would go off without a hitch—as long as the other girls did their bit and didn't chicken out.

The next morning Kate, Poppy and Niki arrived at the house as arranged.

Sadie had hidden the guns in the basement utility room, and they all convened downstairs. Niki went straight to the ammunition and started to load the guns. The other three could hardly believe how swiftly and expertly she loaded the clips. The bullets seemed to just spring into the magazines. ‘You've done that before,' said Sadie.

‘A thousand times,' replied Niki, as she slammed the Uzi's thirty round clip home, tugged back the bolt, and set the gun to full auto. She hefted it upright, and the other three suddenly realised what a dangerous woman she was as she spun round to aim the gun at Sadie's washer/drier.

‘Careful,' said Sadie. ‘That ain't paid for yet.'

‘It will be,' said Niki, and she carefully put the Uzi on top of the machine. ‘Right,' she said. ‘Now it's you lot's turn.'

‘Bloody hell,' said Kate as she gingerly accepted a Glock and an empty magazine. ‘What do I do now?'

‘Push the bullets into the mag just like I did,' said Niki, and Kate clumsily attempted the feat.

‘No,' said Niki. ‘That won't do. Sadie, you got scissors and an emery board?'

‘Course,' replied Sadie and dived into her handbag.

‘No,' said Kate, realising what was going to happen. ‘No.'

‘You'll never manage with those nails,' said Niki. ‘Give me your hand.'

‘This manicure set me back a ton,' wailed Kate, as Niki grabbed her left hand and chopped off the expensive acrylic fingernails she wore. Then she did the same with the right and tossed Kate the emery.

‘File ‘em down short.'

‘Robbo'll kill me.'

‘I doubt it,' said Niki. ‘But maybe you can kill
him
if you learn to shoot straight.'

‘The next thing is to shoot these little babies,' said Niki, picking up the Uzi again and stroking it like a pet cat. ‘Where should we do it?'

‘Well, not my back garden,' said Sadie. ‘Might upset the neighbours. How about that place in Epping Forest I found? It was quiet. Never saw a soul.'

‘You took a big risk,' said Niki. ‘I suppose you used your own car.'

Sadie nodded.

‘Right,' said Niki. ‘The forest is good. But look at us. We need to keep a low profile. And you Kate. Not in those shoes. You got anything a bit more suitable for a walk through the woods?' she said to Sadie.

‘What's wrong with my shoes?' said Kate. ‘These are Jimmy Choos.'

‘Exactly,' said Niki.

‘I've got some Timberlands upstairs,' said Sadie. ‘You're a six aren't you Kate?'

Kate nodded.

‘Great.'

‘And we'll steal a car,' said Niki.

‘What?' said Sadie.

‘It won't be as nice as yours. Something older, that I can get into fast.'

‘You steal cars?' said Kate.

‘Sure. Who doesn't? And we'll all need gloves. You got some Sade?'

‘I can do that. Just as well I'm a fashion victim. Or was.'

Poppy just looked on silently. There was a lot her friends didn't know about Niki, but they were beginning to learn.

In her borrowed boots, leather gloves, and a Barbour waxed jacket, Kate fitted in with the others who had dressed for a day in the country. They took the guns out to Sadie's SUV, once more packed away in the rucksack, with all spare magazines loaded.

‘Is there a supermarket close?' asked Niki. ‘With a car park?'

‘Yeah,' replied Sadie. ‘But I do my weekly shop there, and it's loaded with CCTV.'

‘Let me worry about that,' said Niki.

Sadie drove to the supermarket and Niki hopped out of her car at the entrance. ‘Drive on,' she said. ‘Then park up where you can. I'll flash the lights when I see you, and we'll find somewhere to dump your car.'

‘You're confident,' said Kate.

‘Trust me,' Niki said, and then she was gone.

Sadie did as she was told, and drove into a lay-by a couple of miles up the road. Within minutes, a nondescript Japanese hatchback flashed its lights and pulled in behind. Niki was at the wheel. She got out and ran up to Sadie's window. ‘Easy,' she said. ‘Might as well leave yours here. We'll pick it up later. Get the guns and be quick.'

The girls left the SUV, Poppy carrying the rucksack full of weapons, and piled into the hatchback which smelt of cigarettes and BO. ‘Nice,' said Kate.

Niki got behind the wheel and pulled back onto the main road.

Sadie gave her directions to Epping and as they sped along the main road, Poppy said, ‘What's the sentence do you think, driving a stolen car full of guns?'

‘Christ,' said Kate.

‘Just asking,' said Poppy with a grin. ‘This is fun.'

It was several miles later that things started going pear shaped. A white Transit van decided to pass Niki and cut her up severely as he flashed her a V-sign. Niki said something in Russian that sounded obscene and took off after the van. ‘Leave it,' said Sadie.

‘Will I fuck. Bastard man,' said Niki and smashed her foot down on the accelerator and rocketed past the van, pulled in hard and fast, nearly sending it off the road. She reached round and pulled the Uzi from the rucksack.

‘No,' screamed Kate as the driver got out of the van, a huge, bald-headed man in T-shirt and jeans. Niki jumped out of the hatchback, stood in the middle of the road and pulled the trigger of the machine pistol which punched thirty rounds straight through the engine block and windscreen. The driver stood open mouthed and looked at the wreck of his transport, as water, oil and petrol ran into the road in a steaming torrent. Niki ran up to him and jabbed the hot barrel of her gun into his ear. ‘Reckon I've got one more bullet for you,' she hissed, as he almost fainted and a big brown patch appeared at the back of his trousers. She slammed him hard in the head with the gun, then ran back to the hatchback, leapt in, chucked the Uzi to Poppy in the back seat and roared off. ‘Well, that one works for sure. God, but that felt good,' she said.

‘Jesus Niki,' said Sadie. ‘That could've screwed us well and truly. What would've happened if another car had come past?'

‘I'd have shot the engine out. Simple.'

‘You can't shoot the whole world.'

‘I don't know,' replied Niki with a manic grin. ‘Long as there's enough ammunition.'

‘Are we going to have trouble with you?' asked Sadie, not amused.

‘I'll try to do better in future,' said Niki. ‘But no promises.'

‘Do you think he got our number?' asked Kate.

‘I doubt it,' replied Niki. ‘He was too busy shitting his pants. But maybe we'd better get another car just in case.'

‘What about your prints?' asked Sadie. ‘They're all over the cartridge cases you left lying in the road, aren't they?'

‘Never had my prints taken' replied Niki. ‘What sort of a girl do you think I am? Now let's get some new transport?'

And that's exactly what she did. Not far down the road was a branch railway station with a pay and display car park rammed with commuter's cars. She pulled up outside, shooed the other girls out of the hatchback, drove in, parked, and joined them almost immediately in a ten-year-old Ford Granada. ‘It's not much,' she said. ‘But it's got a full tank.'

‘All aboard the Skylark,' said Poppy as they got inside, just as a police car with blues flashing and sirens screaming roared past in the direction they'd come from, but didn't as much as slow down.

‘That was quick,' said Kate. ‘Just as well we got rid of that other motor.'

‘Should've nicked his phone,' said Niki. ‘Right then. Where to from here? And what the bloody hell is the Skylark?'

Nobody bothered to explain.

They got to the forest and Sadie showed them the burnt tree where she'd practised her shooting. The Granada wouldn't make the rough track that she'd used in her four wheel drive, so they abandoned it. With Niki carrying the rucksack they went into the woods which once again were deserted, without so much as a man walking his dog. ‘Told you,' said Sadie. ‘Not a soul about.'