Barber Shop Ink - Book 3: Riverworth

by Penny Blush

  “Not fucking likely,” a deep male voice boomed from behind a blackout motorbike helmet.

  The man dressed all in black, was standing on the top of the wall. I didn't have a chance to think, to react, before the man in black levelled a gun at the man holding me and fired. The man's body dropped to the ground pulling me backwards causing me to fall but I kept my grip on the wall. The man in black reached his hand out.

  “Take my hand.”

  “Who the fuck are you?”

  “Listen princess just take my fucking hand. I’m here to help you. Malcolm and Charlie sent me. Malcolm said you could trust me.”

  “There she is,” Eric’s voice called through the night.

  Not having the luxury of being able to think or confirm that Charlie and Malcolm did indeed send this guy, I had no choice but to accept his help. I reached up slapping my hand into his gloved one and he effortlessly pulled me to the top of the wall. Together we jumped to the ground mounted our bikes and took off into the night.

  Chapter 41 Vex

  “WHAT THE FUCK DO I PAY YOU FOR!” I screamed throwing a whisky glass at the wall. The shattered shards of glass showering the men sitting on the couch.

  I was raging around the great room, the only room in the house that was big enough to hold all my men at once. Thank fuck they all had the common sense to look shamefaced. They had all failed at their jobs. The only one who did what I paid him for was Eric. He got in a few shots before she hit him with a lucky punch and got away. It was better than that fuck-head Ryan who only got himself shot.

  “Does someone want to tell me how the fuck she got into the house?” I looked around the room. None of the men responded. “Explain to me how she got past you all and how the fuck did she get into my ROOM!?”

  I was so fucking pissed at the lot of them, I hadn’t even gotten changed out of my pyjamas. I was storming around the place like an angry father who caught the kids sneaking in after curfew.

  “Anyone? Anyone? No one? Fine, I am going to get dressed and when I get back someone better have some fucking answers.”

  Everything had gone to shit. All my years of planning. All the data mining, all the subtle persuasions, all the little pushes and the ass kissing, and it was going to shit.

  Every-fucking-thing was going to shit!

  All because of that red-headed bitch with a dominatrix complex and a love of leather. If she wasn’t trying so hard to kill me, I might just find it hot. But, all fantasies aside I am going to fucking kill that bitch and will relish the moment when I am standing over her corpse.

  I reached for my signature white linen suit but after what happened to the last one I changed my mind and went for black. Hey, it worked for Johnny Cash and he was one bad ass mother.

  I took a moment filling my glass with whisky. I walked to the balcony boring holes in the wall where Morningstar escaped my grasp. Once this was finished, once Morningstar was in hell and Charlie and Georgiou are with her, I plan on weeding the deadwood out of my organisation.

  “Come in,” I answered the knock at my door.

  “Boss we have a lead,” Eric said walking to the balcony. “Morningstar has been seen heading towards Gatwick.”

  “She’s trying to run,” I swirled the melting ice and remaining whisky in my glass.

  “You think she’s heading for a plane?”

  “We’ve got her on the run Eric. We’ve got them all on the run. The bullshit at the festival aside.”

  “It was a childish prank Boss. Cheap parlour tricks.”

  “Exactly, they’re running scared. Georgiou is too consumed with his son’s recovery. Charlie hasn’t been seen since the festival and Morningstar is trying to skip town. This country is ripe for the taking Eric, and I will be the one to do the taking.”

  “Anyone can see you have the power and backing to do just that, and I will be with you every step of the way.”

  Eric ever the loyal solider.

  “You’re a good man Eric and I am glad you’re with me.”

  With Morningstar headed for the airport and Charlie and Georgiou in hiding there is nothing more that can be done tonight. I plan on finishing my whisky, finding one or more of the mob whores who can help me take my mind off this shit storm of a night.

  “Grab yourself a drink Eric and then take the rest of the night off. There’s nothing more that can be done.”

  “Thank you, Boss. Call me if you need anything.”

  Eric turned to leave when Ryan came limping back in looking like he’d just won a prize.

  “Boss, we got her.”

  “Yeah, we know she’s headed towards Gatwick. Have a good night Boss, I’ll take it from here,” Eric replied signalling towards the door indicating that Ryan should leave.

  “What? No, she’s not,” Ryan said sounding annoyed.

  “We have reliable intel that Morningstar has seen heading towards Gatwick airport. There is no way for us to get to her in the airport, but we know where she is going. Back home to lick her wounds. We’ll get her there. Now, Ryan let’s get out of here so that Mr Vex can get some much-needed sleep.”

  “No, wait! Boss Mr Vex please,” Ryan pleaded struggling against Eric. “She’s not headed towards the airport!”

  “Eric, wait. Ryan, speak.”

  “Morningstar, she’s not headed towards Gatwick. Someone saw her headed into the city on that black crotch-rocket of hers and there’s someone else with her on a bike too. A dude by the looks of things,” Ryan concluded wrenching his arm out of Eric’s grasp.

  “What do you mean she’s headed to the city?”

  “I got a call from a buddy of mine who said he saw her,” Ryan replied.

  “A buddy of yours? Yeah that sounds like a reliable source,” Eric said crossing his arms.

  “Not just one but I’ve gotten four messages from people I know saying they’ve seen her. One sent a picture,” Ryan smugly dug into his pocket pulling out his phone. “Here look,” he said shoving his phone at me.

  The picture was blurry, but that bike and that ass were unmistakable. But, the guy with her, he was a mystery.

  “Here Eric look, it’s her,” I passed the phone to him.

  “She must have doubled back because she was definitely headed to the airport.”

  “I told you,” Ryan muttered arrogantly.

  “Don’t gloat Ryan. Eric who’s the guy with her?”

  Eric pinched his thumb and forefinger on the screen spreading them, zooming in on the image.

  “I’m not sure. She has never worked with a partner before. This is new. Let me see what I can find out,” Eric said reaching for his own phone.

  “Ryan! Yo Ryan,” one of my low-level guys called. This guy was so far down the rung I didn’t even know his name. “Oh, hey Eric, umm Mr Bosman sir,” the guy said spying me doing so weird bow curtsy combination.

  “What is it Rabbit,” Eric asked his patients wearing thin.

  “We umm just got word that that chick Morningstar and the guy with her pulled into the carpark behind your café.”

  “Eric, I mean can you believe the balls on this broad,” I laughed. “Stopping at my café. Get the car and let’s go get that bitch.”

  Chapter 42 Apollo

  What the fuck was she playing at, going in there like that?

  I wanted to yell and scream at her. Where the hell was her head at? It was a series of fuck-ups. One rookie mistake after the other.

  Going in alone, without backup - Mistake.

  Not completing proper recon, not knowing the layout of the building - Mistake.

  Going in when all emotional - Big fucking mistake.

  But I couldn’t do anything, I couldn’t say anything because then she would know who I was. Charlie was right, I can’t let Jupiter know who I am, not now. Just getting photos from home was enough to rattle her and send her off after Vex without thinking. If she knew I was here it would break her.

  Morningstar lead me to a parking lot behind a café and not just any ca
fé. She stopped her bike keeping it idling and flipped up her face shield.

  “Talk,” she demanded unzipping her jacket checking her shoulder. “Ah fuck,” she hissed looking over her shoulder poking at the exit wound.

  “Here use this, you need to stop the bleeding,” I said my voice muffled by the helmet, handing her a sealed strip containing what looked like long cotton tip. “It’s an SN stick. Silver nitrate and potassium nitrate. It will chemically-cauterize the skin.”

  “I know what a silver nitrate stick is,” she snapped snatching the packet from my hand ripping it open wiping the cotton tip over the wound. “Ahhh, shit! Motherfucking son of a bitch!”

  “You kiss your mother with that mouth?” I smirked.

  “Fuck you, asshole! It fucking hurt!”

  “So, does getting shot.”

  I couldn’t help being a smart ass. Even though she was in disguise, I could still see my kid sister, my Little Bug under the badass get up. It was one benefit of being a big brother it allowed me to dig at her.

  “Who the hell are you? And why the fuck should I trust you?” She asked shrugging her jacket back on.

  “Apart from the fact I saved you back at the compound and I just saved you from bleeding to death?”

  “It was a flesh wound not life or death,” she quipped rolling her eyes.

  “Charlie sent me to back you up. Malcolm said you can trust me.”

  “Where the hell is Malcolm? He wouldn’t have sent you alone.”

  “We separated once we got to the compound. He went in the front. He said that if I got to you first to get you out, tell you that you can trust me and that we would meet up back at Charlie’s”

  “How the hell am I supposed to trust you when you won't even take off your helmet to talk?”

  “You’ll just have to take me at my word. My agreement is with Charlie. He trusts me. Malcolm trusts me that should be enough. You don’t need to see my face.”

  “Then I don’t need you.” Morningstar flipped down her face shield and revved her bike, preparing to take off.

  “How about you show me who you really are first,” I demanded above the noise of the engine.

  “What?” She snapped flipping the face shield back up backing off the throttle.

  “I said, how about you show me who you really are first. Then maybe I’ll consider showing you who I am.” Morningstar stayed silent, crossing her arms and looking off in the distance chewing on her lip. “Exactly! I keep my identity a secret to protect the ones I love, just like you.”

  “Fine.”

  “So, explain to me why the hell you would bring me here to a café owned by Nicholas fucking Vex?” I asked.

  “Because, Vex, is an idiot and there are no security cameras around this building. It’s a blind spot. I thought it would give me, us, somewhere to think.”

  Now she wants to think. I wanted to fucking strangle her! If she’d just taken a moment to think before she took off, she wouldn’t be in the mess. We wouldn’t be hiding behind a fucking café in the middle of the goddamn night. I get it, there are people in my life I would do stupid things to protect. If someone threatened them I would burn the world to the ground to illuminate the threat.

  “What were you doing in Vex’ place?” I asked.

  “Hoping to end this bullshit once and for all. I don’t know if you have a family. I don’t know if you’re even human, but that son of a bitch threatened my family. And not just if you don’t back off I’ll hurt them threaten. No, that piece of shit had photos of my family where they should have been safe. That motherfucker had been in my home, he was in my bedroom. Tell me that if you received photos of your family, inside your brother or sisters house, of your fiancé asleep in bed you wouldn’t react?”

  “If that bastard got anywhere near my sister or my wife there is nothing I wouldn’t do to rid the world of him.”

  “Exactly!”

  “But,” I said interrupting her gloating. “But, I would make sure I had a plan, that I had an exit, that I was smart. I would make sure I got back to my family alive. I wouldn’t go in hot headed, emotional and get myself killed.”

  “Aaaaahhh! What the fuck was I thinking!” Morningstar yelled punching the gas tank.

  “You weren’t.”

  “No shit Sherlock thanks for that amazing insight,” she drawled rolling her eyes.

  “I’m here to offer back up, not a hug.” No matter how much I want to get off this bike and wrap my sister up in a hug so tight that her arms bruise.

  “I have known you for what? All of five minutes so I don’t know you, but I know plenty of guys like you. So, could you please pretend for a moment you’re not an automaton and that you’re an actual human person with actual feelings?”

  “I’m sorry princess,” I said waving a hand at her. “Please, continue to feel your feelings. Let me know when you're done with your pity party then maybe we can get the fuck out of here.”

  “Fuck you, asshole.” She said crossing her arms and rolling her eyes a move I know all too well. “What am I supposed to call you, anyway?”

  Classic Jupiter, when you’re not winning an argument change the subject.

  “You can call me Apollo,” I replied.

  It was a name I was used to being called and it was my call sign, a name that she didn’t know.

  “Apollo. Nice name,” she scoffed her words dripping with sarcasm.

  “You can talk Morningstar,” I couldn’t help but smile at her sass.

  “I didn’t pick my name they gave it to me,” she replied raising her chin.

  “Well at least we have that in common.” Morningstar squinted her eyes at me like she was trying to figure me out. “So, M, what’s the plan?”

  “Well, A,” she smiled, a smile lighting up her entire face. Even with her Morningstar disguise in place, I could still see my kid sister in that smile. “It’s probably for the best to get back to Charlie’s ASAP. He will rip me a new one so there’s no point in delaying the inevitable.”

  “Let’s get moving,” I agreed leaning forward grabbing the throttle and revving it a few times.

  Morningstar flicked down her face shield and rolled out of the carpark. We cruised through the city, side by side, it was an unhurried leisurely ride, not wanting to draw attention to ourselves. I took a moment to look around the city enjoying the sights. You’d be forgiven to think we were just two normal people enjoying a late-night ride through London. I let myself believe the fantasy for a while. Pretending that my sister and I were on holidays touring around the UK and not two people living double lives with bad guys on their tail.

  It was a nice night although frigid cold as we took the long way back to Charlie’s. Figuring that after we had stayed at the café for a good twenty minutes and then circled the city for almost half an hour with no sign of Vex’ men; that we were safe enough to take our time.

  It was stupid, I knew it was stupid. One of the main rules of a successful extraction was to get in, get out and get to a safe house without delay or deviation. I was distracted because I was with my sister for the first time in years. Forgetting the mission, forgetting I was supposed to end Morningstar, forgetting all my training and just let myself enjoy the moment.

  The integrated hands-free system in my helmet buzzed, snapping me back to reality.

  “Davan. Malcolm, do you have her?”

  “Yes.”

  “One moment I am patching your sister in.”

  Before I could even remind Malcolm that she doesn’t know who I am, there was a sudden silence then a small pop and Malcolm’s voice was back.

  “You both need to get back here ASAP. I just received word from my contact. Vex and his men are after you both. You need to hustle.”

  “Apollo follow me,” Morningstar said.

  “Lead the way,” I said deepening and roughening my voice, so she wouldn’t recognise it. “Malcolm we’re fifteen minutes out.”

  Chapter 43 Morningstar

  I took the ne
xt left gunning the engine as we speed off through the city. Weaving in and out of traffic caution and road rules be damned, cars and busses rushing by in a flash. I kept my eyes on the road and my senses on high alert looking out for any danger. I took every shortcut I knew, but it still wasn’t enough. Three black sedans shot into the street behind us, one barely missing Apollos bike.

  “APOLLO!” I screamed.

  “I’m fine keep going!”

  I gunned the engine, leaning forward trying to make myself as streamline as possible. Everything hurtling past in a blur. I caught a flash out the corner of my eye. A black Audi Q3 all-wheel drive shot out from a side street narrowly missing my rear tyre as I swerved to miss a tour bus. I righted myself racing down the centre line Apollo hot on my tail the Audi stuck behind the line of traffic.

  “Where the fuck did he come from?”

  “You okay M,” Apollo asked through the helmet intercom.

  “Yeah, where the hell did the other cars go?” I asked my head on a swivel.

  “We seem to have lost him but reckon not for long. We need to get the fuck off these streets.”

  “Copy that but we’re safer while we’re mobile.”

  We kept having to double back or shoot downside streets to get away from Vex’ men.

  “No, I mean we need to stop sticking to the streets. We’re on bikes. We can go places the cars can’t.”

  The events of the last few years have changed the face of the city, terrorists using innocent pedestrians to have their voices heard. They had installed concrete protection barricades and bollards on bridges and walkways throughout the city. Preventing cars from being able to access footpaths and walkways but the bikes we were on could slip through.

  It churned my stomach thinking of endangering the public walking around the city, people in their cars on the streets we were racing through were at just as much risk. The only saving grace was that it was after two o'clock in the morning. In winter the temperature was freezing, and it had been threatening to snow all day, so the foot traffic would be minimal. I prayed that anyone who was out, would heed the warning of a horn blast and would get out of the way.