Without You I Have Nothing (30 page)

_{He kissed her lightly
then let her go. He had a quick phone call to make.}

_{Still too shocked to
realize much of what was happening, Jennifer did notice, however, that Peter
packed a tailor’s dummy and a red wig into a second case before they entered
the lift.}

_{Jennifer’s car
arrived at the door of the condominium complex just as they stepped out of the
lift in the entrance court.}

_{Not the least
disturbed by Peter’s Asian clothing, security immediately surrounded the car
before the three ventured outside.}

_{Andrew sat in the
back and Peter drove. Jennifer was beside him and, at Jennifer’s feet, Peter
placed the second case containing his gun, blowpipes and Kukris wrapped in
clothing. The case of clothing was on the seat beside Andrew.}

_{Peter watched the
other car immediately pull out and try to overtake them. He could only grin as
he made the Mini fly until they were safely inside the workshop.}

_{Assisting Jennifer
upstairs, he told her to stay there no matter what happened while he and Andrew
busied themselves with the truck that Peter was to deliver to Bathurst - making
it ready for what was to become a most interesting trip.}

_{Peter kept an eye on
the glass windows of the office and was amused to see one of the tattooed men
watching their activities carefully. Only then did Peter close the shutters
over all the windows. There was no point in alerting the criminals to their
plans.}

_{Handing his gun to
Andrew, he gave strict instructions to guard Jennifer and to shoot to kill. Laughing
at Andrew’s discomfort, he also handed him his Kukris, explaining, “This is not
a man’s work tonight, it’s just child’s play. I’ll be dealing with three idiots.”}

_{Impressed by Peter’s
thoroughness, Andrew was silent as he watched carefully. Then he assisted Peter
in rigging four powerful floodlights behind the driver’s cabin and watched
while Peter focused the glare of the lights through the windscreen of a car
that he parked a measured distance behind the truck.}

_{Andrew said nothing
but knew that as soon as Peter switched on the lights the sudden intense glare
would blind anyone driving a car behind the truck. One thought obliterated all
others in his mind - the conviction that these men were dead men walking.}

_{Peter was just too
methodical and too intent on what he was preparing to harbor any fears. He knew
what he was doing and was showing his experience in killing.}

_{Turning to Andrew,
Peter asked him to stay downstairs while he went up to Jennifer. Carrying the
case from the car Peter paused, looking back at his handiwork. Satisfied, he
continued towards the staircase.}

_{Upstairs, Peter
hugged Jennifer. Emotionless now, he changed into a pair of overalls, leaving
his Asian clothes on the bed as he gave his orders. They sounded cruel, but she
was to stay the night with Andrew at the workshop.}

_{“Tomorrow you will
ask Joe to get the newspapers. Read them carefully. I tell you now that I love
you with all my heart, and for the third time I repeat, ‘The good shepherd
giveth his life for his sheep and there shall be one fold and one shepherd.’“}

_{While talking, Peter
opened the case, removed the pieces of a mannequin and began assembling it. Jennifer
could only watch in amazement. Studying her in the same way as an artist
studies his model, he carefully placed a red wig on its head.}

_{Peter then asked
Jennifer to remove her dress so he could put it on the model. She was shocked
but did as directed, changing into a dress from her case.}

_{The mannequin was
finally dressed and he applied make-up to its face until he was satisfied that
it looked like Jennifer.}

_{As he turned to leave
with the mannequin in his arms, Jennifer hugged and kissed him.}

_{“Never forget that I
love you. See you soon, God willing. Stay here and try to sleep.”  Peter's
words were intended to be thoughtful and caring.}

_{“Peter, take care, as
my future goes with you.”}

_{“Why are you carrying
Jennifer?”  Andrew’s question assured Peter that the mannequin was lifelike as
he sat it in the passenger’s seat.}

_{He strapped it in
place so it couldn’t move, but, as a touch of realism, he carelessly draped one
of the mannequin’s arms on the door. It seemed as though the real Jennifer sat
there, eagerly looking forward to the trip.}

_{He slipped on a pair
of welding gloves while he spoke to Andrew.}

_{“Andrew, when you
open up, I’ll drive out. Keep my gun handy in case of accidents. Follow me out.
Climb up and lean in through the window to kiss your sister goodbye. Don’t
forget to shout, ‘Have a good trip, Jennifer, and don’t let that ruffian
misbehave.’ or words to that effect. Remember I am driving off with your
sister.}

_{“Come back in and
lock up. Go upstairs and keep Jennifer there until Joe, Mark and all the
workers arrive in the morning. Tie her to the bed if necessary. There’s lots of
food and drink. Say a prayer or two for me.}

_{“Under no
circumstances let Jennifer answer any phones or leave.”}

_{Silently, Andrew
could only nod in agreement and stare at this incredible man who was driving
off to kill three criminals. He couldn’t believe that Peter was preparing their
deaths so cold-bloodedly.}

_{Showing no sign of
nervousness or strain, Peter climbed into the cabin and the engine roared into
life.}

_{Waving goodbye,
Andrew shouted after him, “Enjoy the trip Jennifer but don’t let that man sweet
talk you into anything.”}

_{He watched the truck
as it disappeared up the hill with that car closely following before he turned
to lock up and retrace his steps up the stairs.}

_{Andrew could hardly
believe that the face that greeted him, so drained of color, belonged to his
sister.}

_{“Peter has just
driven off and the criminals are following him.”  Before he could finish
Jennifer leapt for the stairs.}

_{Moving more quickly,
Andrew, grabbed her. Dragging her back into the room, he clapped his hand
across her mouth to stifle her distressed moan. “Stay here, Jennifer, stay here.
It’s Peter’s wish, and if you leave, you may put him in even more danger. He
wants you safe, so do as he asked.”}

_{With her hair falling
across her face, Jennifer sagged onto the bed and wept into her hands. She
prayed that Peter would be safe - he just had to be safe - she loved him far
too much for it to be otherwise.}

_{Andrew and Jennifer
talked far into the night. He admitted that Peter had certainly surprised him
with his gun and the ‘box of death’, as Peter had called that special little
case of his. Staring at his sister, he was almost demanding an answer to his
unvoiced question. His mind could only wonder about the reasons for Peter
having those weapons and why he knew death so well. He couldn’t help concluding
that Jennifer loved a criminal.}

_{Her eyes dropped
before her brother’s steady gaze. She was tempted to tell him of Peter’s
history.}

_{Remembering her
promise on this subject, however, she remained silent. Instead, turning to her
brother, she announced, “I intend marrying that man. I’ll have his children and
together we’ll make our way through life hand-in-hand. There is nothing you,
nor Mum nor Dad will say that can ever change that.”}

_{So strident and
vehement was she that Andrew could only answer softly, “Jennifer, all we want
is your happiness, so forget that we will stand in your way. He loves you and
you love him. Past history doesn’t matter at all. It’s the two of you - your
life and your future and, frankly, I’m so pleased because he sure is someone
special.”  He covered her with a blanket.}

_{Eventually she
drifted off into a restless sleep.}

_{In the truck, Peter
could hear the engine’s sweet song. He pressed the controls and the windows slid
silently upwards until he and the dummy were safe in the cocoon of the cab.}

_{No need for tablets
tonight, he was burning with a red-hot anger. He watched that car dart in and
out of the late night traffic, keeping a respectable distance behind him as if trying
to disguise the fact that it was shadowing him.}

_{Eventually, at the
old township of Windsor, the traffic had dwindled so there was just that one
car and the truck heading westwards. Peter began thinking ahead to where they
would make a move. His mind raced to map the road through the mountains and he
decided that he would make it as difficult as possible for them. That poor
little car would find the pathway very rocky indeed.}

_{Accepting the plan,
he decided it was time he acted upon the first stage. Braking suddenly, he
watched the car swerve and skid, trying to avoid a collision. Then he
accelerated quickly, leaving the car floundering in his wake. Laughing, he knew
their frustration would be building.}

_{As if annoyed by
their following him, constantly he repeated the maneuver, their high beam
glaring in his mirrors. Through the tight corners up through Kurrajong he
rocketed, as though driving a racing car.}

_{The car behind
struggled to keep up.}

_{As the first
overtaking lanes drew closer, he watched the car move out to pass.}

_{Lazily he let the
truck drift across into the same lane and savored the result when he heard a
harsh honking on the horn and looked down to see the lights in the car interior
switched on and fists waved at him.}

_{The car dropped back.}

_{Knowing that their
road rage was building and would hamper their planning, Peter smirked and
ruthlessly plotted the next step. Repeatedly, the car pulled out to overtake
and every time Peter allowed the truck to drift across and block them. The
flashing of their lights and the blasts on their horn did nothing other than
make the truck roar off into the distance, leaving the car floundering in its
wake.}

_{Suddenly Peter
realized the weather had changed. It had begun to rain. Grinning, he knew that
the gods were about to assist him. The rain slashed down and the truck just
ploughed its way through the mist and downpour splashing through the water
across the road. Peter knew the truck was better equipped to cope with severe
weather than was the car. Ahead loomed the Mount Tomah sign - ‘Mount Tomah
Overtaking Lane 5 kms Ahead’- and he knew the time had arrived for the game to
end.}

_{As he approached the
long, winding ascent, he slowed and slowed as though the truck was finding the
grade a little steep and he could imagine the excitement and the licking of
lips as the three were thinking of finally catching up and getting their hands
on Jennifer.}

_{His years of studying
psychology told him the people in that car had only one thing on their mind -
what they would do to Jennifer and that thought was clouding their rational
thinking.}

_{They were incapable
of believing they were driving into a trap and death. Convinced they were
indestructible, they believed the punishment they would hand out to Jennifer
was their God given right.}

_{As there were three
of them and only one driver with the woman they would have no problems with the
rape and two murders. They would never consider that the driver of this truck
held their lives in his hands.}

_{Peter was ready.}

_{The overtaking lane
seemed to rush up though the darkness and the rain. Giving them plenty of room
to make their move, Peter watched in the mirror as the two windows on his side
of the car rolled down and he saw two guns pointed at the truck. He heard ‘pop,
pop, pop’ and felt a sting in his right leg as at least one bullet struck him. At
the same time, the truck hurled itself ahead of the car and Peter switched on
the floodlights to blind the driver.}

_{The steep corner
marking the end of the overtaking lane rushed into view and the truck rocketed
around, all tires screaming their torture as they clung tenaciously to the road.
Not so lucky was the car as it plunged head-on into the rock wall to explode
into a huge fireball.}

_{A single shrill
scream for help quickly faded.}

_{The truck skidded to
a stop and Peter climbed down from the cabin and ripped the wires from the
floodlights. He grabbed the fire extinguisher from its mounting, and taking the
switch, the wires and his packet of darts with him, he tossed them into the
ferocious fire as he played the foaming jet of the truck’s fire extinguisher
uselessly over the flames.}

_{The sound of a siren
broke into his thoughts just as the full realization hit him that his right
shoe was full of moisture yet he knew he hadn’t stepped into a pool of water. Slowly
he crumpled to the ground. Unconscious, he knew nothing of the arrival off the
police, the rescue services, the fire brigade or the Care Flight Helicopter
that carried him to hospital.}