Open Wounds (23 page)

Chapter 34

Amelia turned off the ignition and surveyed her surroundings. Coleani’s restaurant was located south of the beach in a prime location along the promenade beside an array of tourist shops, ice-cream parlours, and a fish and chip take-away overlooking the water.

During the day, seagulls waddled along the wharf cleaning up spilled food before flying away, leaving white splats all over the footpath. Children ran, playing, screaming with laughter before they spent a day on a boat with their parents or enjoyed a picnic down on the rocks watching for whales.

At night, the area was deserted.

The only sign of life was the nightclub pumping out a steady beat a few blocks away. The parking lot was dark, the lack of security lights making it difficult to see. Shivers ran up her spine as she searched the square, ensuring they were alone and not about to get an unexpected surprise. A sense of foreboding washed over her. She tried to shake it off. 

“So, what exactly is the plan?” Kellie asked as she moved her body to lean between the two front bucket seats of Amelia’s vehicle.

“We ask Coleani politely where Burton is and hope he gives us lip so I can haul his arse in on obstruction of justice charges,” Amelia replied, a dark edge to her voice.

All she needed was a reason. Just one, and Coleani was toast. He’d put Kellie through so much pain over the years that Amelia burned to punish him.

Above them a thunder clap rolled across the night sky, dark grey clouds blocking out the moon, telling them a weather change was coming and a storm would soon be upon them. She squinted into the blackness. There was no sign anyone had seen them pull up. No faces showed at the windows of the building nor did any lights turn on. She turned in her seat and watched the back door of the restaurant as if expecting a full frontal attack.

A lone light glowed in the back, which she assumed was Coleani’s private office. She stiffened her spine and unclasped her seatbelt before making a move to open her door. Darryl grabbed her arm, halting her from his position in the passenger seat. A white van pulled up beside the restaurant and blocked their view. Two young men exited and opened the back double doors. Another man she recognised as Aaron Huber
—
Coleani’s muscle
—
joined them. They spoke for a bit, but the sounds of the water crashing against the wharf nearby masked their words.

She sensed Kellie freeze between her and Darryl, as if afraid any movement would make the three men look their way.

Amelia watched as the young men unloaded the van in a few short trips while Huber guarded the vehicle. She didn’t have any doubt as to what the packages contained. Coleani was one of the biggest drug distributors in the state.

They waited until the van had driven off and Huber had gone inside before climbing out of the car. Amelia felt the usual anticipation course through her body with every step toward the building. She was eager for a faceoff with Coleani.

As they neared the restaurant’s side door used primarily for deliveries, they heard a raised voice penetrate the wall. “That fucking little bitch. She’s determined to bring me down. Starting with you,” the livid voice fumed.

“What the hell are you talking about?” someone asked.

“The end of you, the end of
us.
A subpoena, Wayne. For your fucking DNA, that’s what I’m talking about. What have you done? What evidence have you left behind?”

Amelia recognised Coleani’s voice this time. Aidan Carmichael had obviously filed the paperwork in preparation, so they could arrest Wayne Burton. Clearly there was a rat in their house if Coleani knew about it just moments after the fact. She filed away that thought for another day.

“I told you to sort her out years ago,” Coleani shouted. “The little bitch should’ve been bug food. Nothing but bones by now. Instead she’s causing me more problems than ever.”

A chill went down Amelia’s spine and she looked over at Kellie. “One guess as to who they’re talking about.”

Darryl’s expression darkened as he latched onto Coleani’s threats. Amelia could see he longed to pull Kellie into his arms and hold her but he was on the job and couldn’t afford such distractions.

Exactly why it was never a good idea to hook up with a colleague.

One moment of hesitation could prove fatal.

Darryl’s gaze found hers, and she noted his professionalism. Not one hint of inner turmoil showed. Good. She’d have left him behind otherwise. “To me that’s probable cause,” he said.

She smiled ruthlessly. Coleani’s outburst had not only verified that Burton was inside but had given them sufficient reason to search the restaurant and seize any evidence linking to a crime, such as the cache of drugs that had been delivered just a short while ago.

“Let’s hope Carmichael is as good as his reputation,” Amelia said.

After tonight, it would be up to the lawyers. It would be Aidan Carmichael’s job as prosecutor to keep Coleani from walking. With both Coleani and Burton on scene, Aidan should be able to charge Coleani as a co-conspirator, if not an accomplice, to Burton’s crimes.

Coleani’s ruling days were numbered.

Darryl jogged back to the car and returned, shrugging on his bullet proof vest. He handed Amelia her own before detaching his mobile from his belt and handing it to Kellie. “Call dispatch. Have them send back-up and whatever you do, stay here,” he ordered in a tone even
she
wouldn’t ignore.

Amelia caught Kellie’s gaze. “We’re not kidding. If I see you in there, I’ll shoot you myself for disobedience.”

“Okay.” Kellie held her hands up, stalling all further orders. “I’m not arguing with you. I’m supposed to be on desk duty, remember? Besides, I’m at a slight disadvantage being unarmed and all.”

Darryl gave her a look that said he wasn’t convinced by her easy acceptance. Amelia could well understand why. Kellie wasn’t one for following orders. But then, neither was she. Amelia retrieved a small black canister from the belt at her hip. She was always well prepared for any eventuality. She handed it to Kellie, who took it and studied the label in the dim golden glow.

“Capsicum spray?”

“If anyone gets past us, I want you to take that sucker down. No one is getting away without first taking a trip to the LAC, understand?”

“Sure.” Kellie studied her hands. In the left she held Darryl’s mobile and in the right her capsicum spray. “Well, I’m all set. Be careful.”

Kellie’s eyes said it all. She was afraid for them. Amelia had missed the idea of someone caring whether she came back or not. She nodded to Kellie, who raised Darryl’s mobile and dialled the direct number for dispatch.

Amelia bent down towards the lock on the door and withdrew a pick gun from her back pocket. It was a favourite among thieves as it was quick and easy to use and didn’t require luck or finesse. The pick was a long white cylinder that resembled the handle of a torch, except it had a small metal torsion wrench sticking out of the top which she placed into the lock and turned on the device. Vibrations moved from the base to the tip causing the lock to rotate.

She reached the doorknob and it turned easily in her hand as she knew it would. She opened the door an inch and looked through the gap for anyone who may have heard them and were waiting to greet them. As far as she could determine, they were alone. Burton and Coleani must be confined to the office, she assumed. But there was still Huber to consider and any number of unknown felons hiding inside.

Darryl withdrew his weapon from its tan leather holster and nodded to her. She in turn pushed on the door, opening it wide. Darryl entered first while she provided back-up for him. When he found a safe cover he returned the favour and she followed him into the building, allowing the door to close in her wake.

They crossed the room slowly, keeping to the shadows as they used the tall stacks they found in what appeared to be a storage room as protection. The room was dark except for a small streak of light spilling from the office up ahead through the open doors. Using their hands, they signalled to each other, talking silently in a code all police officers knew and lived by.

“You need to fix this,” Coleani was saying as they moved closer. “Otherwise it’ll be you I put in the ground.”

“It won’t be as easy now. She’s a cop.”

Her eyes narrowed. From the angle, she could see Coleani sitting behind his desk. He was dressed in a suit that would no doubt have a famous label sown into the silk lining. His focus was off to his right
—
her blind spot.

A shadow fell across the wall behind Coleani as the figure moved forward. She caught sight of his hand first, then the cheap creased pleather boots he wore, the soles worn down almost to nothing from overuse. She held her breath as he finally moved into view. Light from the bare overhead bulb shined down on him and she went cold.

Wayne Burton in the flesh. She pushed back the tidal wave of emotions that came at seeing the man and one glance at Darryl told her he was doing the same.

“Have you gone soft, Wayne? I know she’s a fucking cop. I don’t care. I want her dead. But I want her to suffer first. Kill them all. Doyle. Hill. Donovan,” he barked. “Then go after her.”

“Police. Put your hands up,” she shouted.

Burton turned at that moment and raised the weapon she hadn’t seen. A moment later a gunshot reverberated throughout the room.

***

Kellie heard the shot. She dropped instinctively to the ground as Darryl’s mobile slipped from her hand and clattered against the pavement several feet away. Two seconds later an answering shot sounded out. She recognised the bang as a Glock 23, the standard weapon for plainclothes police officers.

Which meant it had either been Darryl or Amelia who had returned fire. She shook uncontrollably as she rose to her feet. Fear threatened to swallow her and she closed her eyes briefly as she gained some much needed control over her body. It hadn’t mattered how she’d tried to overcome it. The sound of a bullet exiting a chamber had always incapacitated her. She could barely hold a gun without becoming a gelatinous blob and had only just managed to pass her weapons competency test that had been compulsory to join the police force.

Her body refused to move and in the distance she heard the shrill sound of sirens that told her help was on the way. But would Amelia and Darryl survive that long? They may already be injured
—
or even dead. No. They couldn’t be dead.

She hesitated. If she went in she could very well turn into more of a hindrance than anything else. But knowing her best friend, and Darryl, were in there pushed her forward. On stiff legs, she moved toward the door.

She gripped the container of her capsicum spray hard as she slipped quietly inside and stood motionless for a few beats as her eyes adjusted to the unusually dark room. Slowly, she made out shapes. Tall stacks
—
at least a dozen
—
of shelves, each filled to capacity with canned items and an assortment of dry goods dominated the space. She was in the restaurant storeroom which made sense since she’d entered through the deliveries entrance. She felt along the cool cylinder, working up from the base to the tip to remove the safety cap. She took a moment to make sure she had the spray nozzle facing away from her.

Kellie moved cautiously when she saw a figure up ahead in the darkness. The shape told her it was neither Amelia nor Darryl. She’d recognise their silhouettes anywhere. She had no idea how far inside they’d gotten but from the multitude of sounds surrounding her, Kellie knew they were dealing with more than just Burton and Coleani.

Blood pounded in her ears and the scent of cordite burned in her nostrils.

Kellie stopped suddenly. The back of her neck tingled and her ingrained survival instincts screamed at her to run. She retreated quickly only to find herself trapped by thick bulging arms as they wrapped around her waist and throat, squeezing hard and cutting off oxygen. Kellie struggled. Her feet dangled in the air as she was lifted up off the ground. Her mind flew into a panic.

Blackness whirled behind her eyes as little sparks of light mingled with the dark. The nails of her free hand dug into her captor’s arms as she began to hyperventilate. Within minutes she would be unconscious or dead and considering what lay beyond for her, she welcomed death.

Her brain started to shut down. She knew she should fight back but couldn’t get her limbs to move. She had trained for years in case she was ever confronted with this situation but she hadn’t counted on the emotional element.

She tried to calm herself, to clear her mind of everything but Nick’s instructions. He had taught her all the dirty moves a woman could utilise to disarm a man. All she had to do was remember and use them. She took deep breaths and relaxed her body, going pliant. Instantly, the behemoth loosened his hold on her which she immediately used to her advantage.

Her right leg bent at a ninety degree angle as she sent it in motion, allowing her leg to gain velocity as she brought her knee up as high as she could in the air before sending her leg back, the ball of her stiletto slamming hard into her attacker’s knee. Bone snapped and his leg crumpled, almost sending him toppling to the floor, releasing his hold on her. As soon as her left foot touched the ground, she dug the sharp heel of her shoe into his foot, the point of the three inch dagger-like heel piercing the leather of his shoe and stabbing the top of his foot.