Scorpio's Lot (53 page)

‘I was led to believe the
subterranean passages were a figment of the imagination, but having heard it
put in this context makes one reconsider,’ Bailey said.

‘Keep in mind it’s still only a
presumption, but with little else on offer it’s at least worth exploring the
possibilities,’ said Forbes.

‘Certainly worth investigating,’
Bailey agreed.

‘The biggest hurdle, of course,
is finding the location to one of these three entrances.’

‘And how do you propose to tackle
this?’

‘By doing some research, Graeme.
Possibly address the local and city tabloids initially and then take a visit to
the Lands Department,’ said Forbes.

‘Yes, but I would leave this
exercise until after the carnival. You already have enough to deal with over
the next three to four days.’

Forbes paused for a moment to
quench his dry throat. Looking at his scribbled agenda, he decided to leave the
carnival strategy and formalities until the end.

‘We now turn our attention to
Broadbent’s. Doyle and Carpenter have submitted their report stating the
warehouse was found to be clean and void of scrupulous dealings. The discovery
of a second cellar also proved to be incorrupt of any dubious undertakings,
this very basement being utilised as a means to store archives and disused
furniture. Whilst this overall assessment was favourable for Broadbent’s, there
are, however, some aspects of their business that just don’t add up.’

‘Can you elaborate?’ questioned
Bailey.

‘They have an employee by the
name of Travis Ferguson, more commonly referred to as Ferret, who hasn’t been
sighted for nearly two days now. We hold concerns he may have met with foul
play as a result of possibly being seen entering the police station the other
day. Our surveillance of the warehouse intensified following Ferret’s
interview, so we can only assume the syndicate is of the belief their street
dealer has squealed.’

‘Are you implying the syndicate
and Broadbent’s are one and the same?’

‘Not necessarily, but there’ve
been suspicious developments. Two sources have since confirmed that a syndicate
member called Charlie has been seen at the premises discussing drug business
with Ferret. Interestingly, Broadbent manager Neville Bradbury chooses to turn
a blind eye whenever the two meet. So why is this sort of behaviour tolerated?
Whilst Charlie and Bradbury have never been seen having a conversation, it has
nonetheless been suggested the pair appear to know each other.’

‘An acute observation, Alan. I
would continue with the surveillance but with a more subtle approach,’ insisted
Bailey.

‘Now to our main topic of
discussion,’ Forbes continued, ‘and that is to devise and carry out an
operational plan for the carnival. Today Marsh and I conferred with the
carnival manager, primarily to obtain details of the procession route, in
addition to knowing the general mix of exhibitors. The drawing that lies before
you illustrates the path the parade will take, commencing at Bridge Street and
concluding at Vincent Road. The procession is planned to start at twelve o’clock
and will take a little under an hour to reach its destination. Multi-storey
buildings stand on the corners of Bridge and Covert, and Pitt and Covert. There
are two other tall buildings on Pitt Street, some two and three blocks down
from the Covert intersection respectively.’

‘Seems a straightforward route,’
acknowledged Carpenter.

Whitaker joined the discussion. ‘And
were fortunate to have these multi-storey buildings to assist with aerial
observation.’

Forbes continued. ‘We now turn to
your delegated duties. Burke, Carpenter, Jennings and Martino, you will man
these four posts independently and from the most appropriate window sites.
Marsh, Doyle, Gallagher and Parnell will observe crowd behaviour from ground
level, dressed in civilian clothes. I’ll direct proceedings from multiple
locations with assistance from our remaining team.’

‘It’s also worth mentioning that
each team member will be provided with the necessary communication,’ said
Whittaker.

‘With regards to Scorpio,’ Forbes
said, ‘we believe the Keeper will arrive tomorrow, but at what time and
rendezvous point is anyone’s guess. Their leader’s identity may be unknown, but
given the length of time this man has been in the drug trade I would suggest we’re
looking for someone who is at least fifty years of age. We also have it on good
authority the Keeper intends to pass an incriminating document to the Piedpiper,
and there’s every probability the exchange will be carried out amongst the
mingling of the general public. Although only speculation, there’s a chance the
transfer may take place during the procession, since the crowd’s attention will
be drawn to the parade.’

‘I tend to agree,’ Bailey said
from the speakerphone.

‘Additionally, the Piedpiper s
identity is also unknown, but one consistency has emerged. This Jekyll and Hyde
character is well known by the locals and possibly holds a high-profile
position within the community. Therefore I recommend you pay particular
attention to the behaviour of Stephen Buchanan, Neville Bradbury and Ben
Johnson,’ said Forbes.

‘And I daresay some further
choice individuals from government and local business circles,’ Whittaker
added.

‘Consideration must be given to
the possibility of having a second drug syndicate in our midst. We’ve been
informed that Scorpio intends to downscale their southern operation as a result
of the constabulary’s increased presence and the media’s exploitation of the
case. This in turn has provided opportunity for a rival organisation to seize
an established client base for an otherwise impossible penetration. Therefore
you begin to understand Scorpio’s logic behind the intended incriminating document.
Are there any questions?’ asked Forbes.

‘The use of firearms, boss?’
prompted Gallagher.

‘Absolutely out of the question,
given the expectant crowd, unless a situation arises where self-defence becomes
an issue,’ Forbes replied.

‘And what if the media intervene?’

‘Deal with it sensibly. Just
ignore them.’

‘Do we know how the Keeper will
arrive in Pedley?’ Gallagher asked.

‘Transport is somewhat limited.
There’s no rail service to these parts and I have my doubts their supreme
leader would travel by coach or boat. I suspect he’ll arrive by car.’

‘Do you have any further
information on this rival syndicate?’ Bailey asked.

‘No.’

‘Do you have access to further
resources?’

‘I have another eight officers at
my disposal, in addition to a further six from neighbouring stations.
Discussions have already been held and this backup team is scheduled to arrive
at seven-thirty tomorrow morning,’ replied Forbes.

‘Do you intend conducting a
further briefing tomorrow?’

‘Yes, I’ve set a time for our
final briefing in the morning. The intention of this meeting is to cover such
areas as communication, human behaviour and observational techniques.’

‘Alan, I believe you’ve covered
sufficient ground for now. A briefing in the morning is a good idea to cover
those last-minute objectives or concerns. Please call me at the conclusion of
each festival day.’ said Graeme Bailey, who then disconnected.

‘Thank you for your attendance,
gentlemen. We’ll meet at eight in the morning.’

~ * ~

The
sound of an approaching Bell-47 helicopter heralded the arrival of Scorpio’s
supreme leader. A cleared paddock beside the farm where Brigit O’Neill was
initially held captive served as the syndicate’s heliport for such visits. The
site proved to be an ideal cover, for the property was situated in one of many
deep gullies located some three kilometres from the main road. It was often
said amongst the partisan that those who went in search of the helicopter’s
touchdown would take an eternity to find the appropriate valley.

The awaiting entourage consisted
of Brad Morgan and Charlie, who would provide their leader with transportation
into Pedley. But in a brief lapse of concentration, the accident-prone Charlie
was about to cause havoc with the Keeper’s arrival. Standing beside Morgan and
looking skyward toward the approaching helicopter, he didn’t realise he had
left the paddock gate open. Six Friesians had ambled their way onto the
restricted area. With the ever-increasing noise from the rotor blades, the
cattle became frightened and confused and began to move unpredictably. Suddenly
aware of the animals, the two men hastily commenced rounding up the strays
amidst a verbal abuse delivered by Morgan.

‘You’re a fucking idiot, Charlie.
The boss’s helicopter is about to land and now this!’ yelled Morgan,
desperately trying to redirect the cattle back to where they came from.
Realising the situation was hopeless, he decided on radio contact regarding an
alternative landing zone.

‘Sir,’ he said to the Keeper, ‘the
stray cattle down here make it near impossible for you to land at the usual
location. I suggest you land on the east side of the shed, where the winds are
negligible and the overhead wires are still some distance away. I’ll mark the
target with some red spray paint I have in the car.’

Descending closer, the pilot
observed the flashing lights on Morgan’s car near the specified target. He
couldn’t understand the logic behind this formality, given the broad daylight
and perpetual sunshine. Rather than land immediately, he performed a 270-degree
turn high reconnaissance over the farmland. He informed his important passenger
during the east-north-east pass that he was able to see the red cross provided
by Morgan. He slowed the near fifteen-metre, rotor-span helicopter down to an
effective translational lift, then commenced a slow right turn to align with
the landing zone in preparation to begin the low reconnaissance.

During his descent he noticed at
his one o’clock position a Friesian cow running toward the red cross. He
immediately applied corrective pitch and made a wide right turn to perform a
go-round procedure. In doing so he ventured outside his comfort zone. Suddenly
he saw power lines at around thirty metres below and in front of the craft at
his eight o’clock and two o’clock positions. Aware of the immediate danger, he
applied power and aft cyclic to climb quickly to safety.

By this stage Victor Marlow was
livid with the circus being performed below. Grabbing the two-way communication
he screamed at the two imbeciles to shoot the bloody cow if it refused to
leave. Morgan and Charlie continued with their antics, from screaming abuse to
throwing any conceivable missile they could lay their hands on. By a stroke of
luck and not good management, the Friesian belted toward a nearby hill,
allowing free passage for the pilot to perform his descent. Resting squarely on
the makeshift red cross, he shut down the helicopter engines and rotors,
allowing the Keeper to exit and step upon terra firma.

Marlow immediately ducked under
the whirlwind of the slowing blade rotation and walked across to his two
subordinates. ‘What in God’s name are you two doing?’ he roared.

‘My fault, sir, the cattle came
through an open gate,’ confessed a nervous Charlie.

‘Charlie, if I didn’t know better
I’d think sabotage was on your mind!’

‘Sir, there’s been a change in
plans regarding your rendezvous with the Piedpiper,’ Morgan said to his angry
superior. ‘The crowds in Pedley are exceptionally large, so to eliminate the
risk of exposing the underground network the Piedpiper has a more suitable
place in mind and has asked if you could phone upon your arrival.’

Marlow reached for his mobile and
called the Piedpiper. ‘I’ve arrived at the farm,’ he said.

‘Excellent. I trust you had a
good flight?’ enquired the Piedpiper.

‘I was nearly killed!’

‘What!’

‘That’s another story. I’ll tell
you about it later.’