Highbridge (37 page)

Coming level with the mound, Luke could see Leather and the kid had run out of places to go. They were on the edge of the quarry.

Luke waited until Matt's red dot danced across the crouching figures. He then stood up and flicked on his own, so that it was clear they were now caught in a crossfire. Slowly Leather stood up. Again the hands were up in surrender. He was still hoping to deal his way out. Slightly more nervous, the young lad looked up at Leather, who flicked his head to tell him to give up. He too started to rise slowly, until he was quickly grabbed by Leather, who twisted his arm behind his back and held his throat, to use him as a human shield.

‘What's the point?' Luke called. ‘You're not going anywhere.'

But Leather thought he had a bargaining chip. Their emotions. He had noted their reactions to seeing the cuts on the kid. He'd use that as a way out. He tightened his grip on the lad's throat, causing his eyes to widen in pain and confusion.

‘That deal you offered. I'm up for it.'

‘It's not on the table any more,' Matt said, as he moved closer, maintaining an arc of separation so that Leather had to keep glancing from side to side.

‘I'll toss in the kid.' He then laughed at what was coming. ‘Either in the deal. You lay down your weapons, let me walk away … Or … I'll toss him over the edge.'

‘What sort of daft offer is that?' Matt asked. ‘You'll be dead then.'

The young lad was sobbing again. ‘Please. Please,' he kept repeating.

‘I was dead inside there, wasn't I? But I'm here now. And … I'm guessing – but I don't think you want this fella to die, do you?'

Luke glanced at Matt. He was fifty-fifty. But Luke could see the beast emerging.

‘Go on,' Leather continued. ‘You'll get what you want. I won't come back. I can't, can I? You've got all that evidence. Like you said. And the kid lives.'

He squeezed again. The lad gagged.

‘OK. OK,' Luke called and lowered his weapon, gesturing for Matt to do likewise. ‘OK, Deal. Let the kid go …'

Leather, more suspicious of Matt, turned to take a quick look at what he was doing. It was all Luke needed. To quickly bring the MP5 back up. Just a moment when enough of Leather's head came into Luke's reticle. Just enough for the kill. Two quick
phludffers
and it was done.

The force of the double-tap took Leather back towards the edge of the quarry, but to Luke and Matt's horror the young lad went with him. He hadn't been hit. Leather had died instantly so was no longer holding him. The horror was that the young lad had lunged and grabbed him, to try and save him going over the edge, but his weight had pulled the lad over as well. By the time Luke and Matt got to the quarry top, all they could see were the ripples spreading across the moonlit caustic pool.

Natasha had only been on the phone 30 seconds when Joey heard her tell someone to stay where they were. She was on her way. He was then designated babysitter as she scooped up her handbag and keys to the Q7. Before long she was at Becky's house, where, having been brought quickly up to date by Tanya, she had turned to Becky's mum. ‘I wouldn't risk Becky's safety because we all feel embarrassed.'

This was all Becky's dad needed, and he went to the phone. ‘But you are sure she went off with this Husachi, fella?' he asked. It was directed at Tanya.

She nodded, but corrected the name. ‘Husani.'

‘Jesus Christ,' Matt said as he and Luke watched the ripples starting to fade away. ‘I thought I'd seen it all … But what was that about?'

Luke didn't have any immediate answer. He could say they'd seen tortured hostages trying to protect their tormentors before. But that was usually in fear of the future. This one had none. He'd also told Joey that he and Matt were damaged. The things they'd seen. The things they'd done. To survive. But there always seemed to be something else. He'd learned not to dwell. That way only took him to deeper pits. And lost focus. They still had to clear up. He turned away and went back to gather up the holdall.

Matt dropped down on his haunches. Staring down at the now calm quarry lake below until Luke came back.

‘If you didn't know what was in it,' Matt said, ‘you could say it looks quite picturesque, couldn't you?'

‘Every picture hides a story?' Luke asked, as he unpacked the guns.

Matt nodded. But was asking himself the question he knew had no answer. Why does it always have to be like this? People in terror of psychos. Who always weaponise the kids. He knew the tactical reason. Because of what had just happened. The good guys always baulked at harming kids. That gave an advantage. A weakness to exploit. And that thought alone, he reflected, proved how screwed up it all was. Calling it a weakness? Caring about kids?

His attention was caught by three splashes as Luke tossed the cut-down shotguns over the edge. Then the Skorpions.

‘Shame about the Glock,' Luke commented as he followed its trajectory to see the splash. But, on top of everything else, they didn't want to get caught with weapons that might be traced back to whatever Leather and his crew had been up to. The bloodied baseball bat and its two companions went next. It would be a long time before anyone ventured into that chemical stew. And even if they did, the odds were that the guns would be traced back and the assumption made that it was all part of some drugs war.

Luke then turned to Matt. ‘You OK?'

Matt nodded and stood up. ‘You mean can I hold it together?' There was more than a slight edge to the question. But it was controlled.

‘Well?' Luke asked again. Adding his own edge. ‘Nothing new.'

‘Except it's on our own friggin' doorstep?' More edgy.

‘Which is why we agreed to do this. Yeah?' Luke spat back. ‘That kid … Those like him. No matter what we think. Or feel. About where and how they got like they do. You know. They'd still kill us if told to.'

Matt hesitated. He did know. But that didn't make witnessing it any easier. But after a moment he nodded. ‘Just … I get it when we're away. Foreign. But it shouldn't be … Not back home.'

‘And I should be happily married now?' Luke asked, the irony weighing heavy.

This brought Matt back. What Luke had been through. Why they were doing this. He finally touched his friend on the shoulder. ‘Sorry. Didn't think anything could get to me any more. Perhaps my PTSD is wearing off.'

‘Do you want a hug?' Luke asked, adding a grin.

Matt gave a sardonic smile. ‘Now who's engaging in displacement therapy?' He bent, picked up the holdall and tossed it into the lake. The moment had come and gone. ‘What now? We still on for the other?' he asked.

Luke nodded and held out another wide five. The pact was solid. ‘Just need to sort the other two out first.'

Matt took a last look down at the lake. Still once again. It was anyone's guess what's down there, he thought as he turned to follow Luke back into the weighing-in shed.

‘Got away did he?' Mr Muscle asked, sneering, as he heard Luke and Matt enter.

Luke went over, checked he was still cable-tied to the pipe, then pulled the hood off. He was still in his balaclava but wanted to see Mr Muscle's eyes. Wide, glaring, hard. Hate. ‘Let's just say he's not with us any more. OK?'

Mr Muscle stared back, trying to process this information, until Matt helped him out. Lifted the muzzle of the MP5 and pushed it against his nostrils. He didn't have to phone a friend. He could smell it. And, finally, the eyes narrowed. Fear.

Matt moved across to the driver and repeated the process. ‘What about you? Want to follow your leader?'

‘No. No. I said … Before … I said … I'll take the deal back. I swear.'

Matt turned to Luke. What do you think?

Luke looked at the two remaining captives. Even Mr Muscle now looked subdued. But Luke kicked him to test his reaction. He didn't get one.

Matt took over. ‘C'mon. You go along with it?'

Mr Muscle nodded. But it wasn't enough.

‘I'd like to hear it,' Matt prompted, putting the Blackhawk knife against his face.

‘OK. I'll take the deal back, too,' he shouted. The eyes back wide and full of hate. ‘We won't come over here. But, if I ever see you anywhere near our territory …'

‘Yeah, yeah,' Matt said as he pulled the hood back over his head. He then went to do the same to the driver. Who immediately tried to pull away.

‘I'll … I'll do … I'll do anything you want. Or say. I will,' he gabbled quickly. Still petrified.

‘All right. Chill. We have a deal, don't we? Someone will come and get you.'

The driver flopped backward. Relief. Exhaustion. But found himself being pulled forward as Matt tugged the hood off again.

‘One last thing. That kid. After what your mate seemed to have done to him … Why? Why'd he …' he glanced in the direction of the lake, thinking of the way the young lad had tried to stop Leather from falling. ‘Why was he so protective?'

The driver looked away. He didn't want to go there. But Matt yanked his head round. ‘What?'

The driver hesitated again. ‘What?' Matt asked again. More forceful.

‘Pete was his dad.'

Matt almost stumbled backwards. But Luke was already right on his shoulder, thankful that bit of news hadn't come out earlier.

At the swing bridge Hilary was talking to her officers who had responded to a call about an abandoned car blocking the bridge. She was off duty, having stopped on her way back from visiting her parents. She learned that no one seemed to have seen anything. The occupants of the car had just disappeared. Already there was talk of an alien abduction. While Hilary considered they might be alien to Highbridge, she was sure they were of this world. Regional Crime had flagged the car as registered to one of the regional drug lords. And the APNR had it logged as coming in and out of town a few days ago. It was enough for Hilary. Two and two were not only making five. But six, seven and eight.

‘It should make you feel better, shouldn't it?' Matt asked, as they tossed their bags into the hire car outside the cottage. ‘Knowing you've dug out a parasite. But …' He shook his head and went back to contemplating the question with no answer.

Luke set the cottage alarm, locked up and headed for the driver's seat. He was not going to let Matt get them pulled over for speeding. Before he dropped into the car he took a long look at the cottage, then across the roof of the car to Matt. ‘It makes me feel better, if that's any help.'

‘That'll do, for now. But …' he carried on, as he got into the car, ‘another one'll pop up. They always do.'

‘But it'll buy time. That's what we always do. C'mon, let's get it finished and get gone.'

He had already texted Joey on the pay and throw, which he had then dropped into the bag along with the others, the Motorolas and the drone, which they would leave for Billy Higham under the railway bridge. They were still in their blacks. The balaclavas and body armour were on the back seat. With the MP5s. Within reach.

Having served its purpose, the Transit van had been collected and was now being driven down the track that led down to the old salt quay, long abandoned since canal barges had been displaced by trucks. The only people who went down there now were hard-core dog walkers and the occasional teenage taboo breaker. And the summer kayakers who usually generated a bit of interest in trying to restore the quay as a tourist attraction, reminding everyone that it was the Romans who originally built it. No one took any notice.

Nor was there anyone around to notice the driver get out and go to the engine compartment. Nor would anyone have noticed him remove a spark plug and squirt in a bit of water. They might have noticed the clanking clunk as the engine fired, then seized solid as piston, water and cylinder head all met with the explosive impact of ignited diesel. As water cannot be compressed it was the steel that gave way. The engine was now useless so the van could not be driven away. Soon it would be an easy target for teenage curiosity and spares vultures. A stripped carcass to the passing onlooker, but a cornucopia of mixed DNA to a forensic examiner.

In all this, the only thing anyone might have noticed was the shock of red hair as Bobby McBain's car park manager jogged away into the night, tossing his biodegradable rubber gloves into the canal.

Joey had received the text from Luke and deleted it straight away. It took him a moment or two to gather his thoughts, then his tool kit. With Natasha off fetching Tanya, it was an easy win getting the boys to stay put by saying he had to pop out. In the Jag. If Natasha left them alone while he'd been away, he was sure they'd be OK for half an hour.

Twenty minutes later Joey had pulled the ancient fuse that still controlled the street supply. Everywhere went dark, including the chippy's CCTV system. But not Joey's phone. It vibrated. It was Luke again. On his real phone.
TA MEET COTTAGE 20.
A few seconds later he heard the jangling crash of the chippy's front door being smashed. He headed off up the street, not looking back. Just as he was told.

Inside the chippy, Fatchops had shown another turn of speed as he came out of the back to see what the commotion was, only to find himself grabbed, spun, slammed into the tiled wall and dazed, as his arms were pulled back and zipped together. He was then shoved through back into the rear. The biggest human shield Luke and Matt had encountered to date.

They passed though the neatly tidied workspace, everything cleaned and stored. Just so. Everything as Fatchops's Mr Sheen POLO. It smelt of disinfectant. Unlike the smell that greeted them when them went through the door to the living space. Tobacco. Alcohol. Cannabis.

The bearded one was there. Sprawled on a settee watching
Newsnight
, with two young girls leaning either side, neither of them appearing too interested in current affairs. One looked asleep, drunk or drugged, while the other was stripped down to her underwear and undergoing a slow breast massage.