Hooley interrupted. “Why so low if it’s his actual home address?”
“Simple really. He’s having a huge renovation done. A lot of his neighbours are very angry with him for digging a huge basement out. So I think that would be too high profile. He may not even be there, given all the work that’s going on.”
Major Phillips knew that area of Surrey fairly well and was already thinking of bringing in a couple of snipers since it was likely the house would be surrounded by trees. This meant good cover if they were shooting from a distance – and not so good if it meant charging, unprotected, over a manicured lawn.
“I’m guessing you’ve narrowed it down to the Surrey place?” he said. “Tell us more.”
Roper took a moment to read over some notes. “I don’t have loads, but my Rainbow Spectrum says it seems the most likely place he would hold someone. It’s isolated, he has history with it, and he knows the area.”
Hooley was briefly awestruck. “I don’t know how you do it. Actually, I don’t know how either of you do it.”
Before he could say anymore, Brooker interrupted, “I’ve found a picture of the security man. He is a very large man indeed.” She spun her screen so that everybody could see.
The Major whistled. “Might need to bring a bazooka with us,” he said. “Let me get on to Operational Command and update them. Meanwhile, I take it we want to get out to Leatherhead? I presume you will send another team to Audley Square.”
Chapter 57
Healy had only been on her own for minutes… it felt like a lifetime. Which it might prove to be. Her finger was resting on the detonation switch and she could feel a low ache developing. She wondered how long she would last.
She thought again about running and seeing how far she could get – but that was for the desperate moment when she could no longer hold the switch.
Marcus had told her that he and Street were still at the house, working on something outside and he assured her that any attempt to loosen the wires connecting the switch to the bomb would set off the Semtex. Then it would be game over.
Speaking without any apparent emotion he had added. “If by some miracle you outrun the blast, I will have the pleasure of shooting you myself. And if you fiddle about you will be blown up.”
At least she could swap the switch between her hands, so long as the button remained depressed. That would give her a little longer before pain made it impossible to hang on, allowing her more time for her rescuers to arrive. Even then, they still had to disarm the thing to make her safe.
Her imagination was running wild. Her thumbs felt swollen and the stress was having a strange effect on her, giving her vivid daydreams. At one point, she was sure she’d had a long conversation with her mother. That was especially odd as the woman never used two words where one would do.
In her more lucid moments, Healy didn’t think she could last very long. Her survival instinct was screaming at her, telling her she had to do something to try and get away.
Suddenly, she could feel a sort of vibration in her chest and a sense of pressure in her ears. She couldn’t work it out. Was it something to do with her captors? She didn’t know if they were still here.
At that moment Marcus burst in, ran into the safe rooms and came out with two rifles in his hands. She didn’t know that they were Kalashnikov’s. Nothing fancy, just efficient, and very lethal.
The vibration was getting stronger and was building to the point where it became obvious that a helicopter was getting very close to the property.
She felt a burst of adrenaline. It must be her rescuers. Someone had worked out her message. It sounded like the helicopter had set down at the front of the house, the rotors were powering down when she heard the sound of what must be, gunfire.
Even before the helicopter had touched down properly the Major and two of his men were leaping out and racing towards the house. This saved their lives.
Bullets banged against the fuselage and some hit one of the pilots, the man calling out in pain as he fell forward. The SAS team didn’t hesitate. They were returning fire with a vengeance.
The Major took a nick on his shoulder. It was savagely painful, but he ignored it and kept firing. A brief lull allowed him to charge forward reaching the relative safety of a sidewall. He saw one of his men tossing a grenade which detonated moments later.
Set on a short fuse it landed exactly in the middle of Street and Marcus. At such close range the explosion had killed them instantly. The man who had thrown the device checked the bodies and then called the all clear. Both of their faces had escaped unscathed, so identification was easy.
The firefight was over in less than sixty seconds, but the Major wasn’t going to abandon protocol. He wasn’t going into the house until he had checked it thoroughly.
It was an imposing house with balconies on the first and second floors. On the upper floors there were balconies to many of the rooms. It spoke of money and power.
Hooley, Roper and Brooker joined the SAS man at the side of the house. His phone chirped. He answered and looked at them. “No surprise but it seems the house in Audley Square was empty.”
A second helicopter had touched down seconds ago and now a medic was trying to tend to his wound. He brushed the man off and got his men checking the outside areas and looking through the windows.
It was the team covering the back of the house that called in.
“Hostage in sight! Repeat, hostage in sight!” They were equipped with HD quality cameras and sent a live stream over the command net.
Hooley took a deep breath as the video went live. Mary Lou was sitting on a settee, wearing the orange jump suit and looking totally distraught. As he watched, she transferred something from her right hand to her left hand. She flexed the fingers of the empty hand and grimaced in obvious pain.
She fell back against the cushions and, holding her left hand against her chest, started to weep, her shoulders convulsing. The DCI felt his temper rising and was glad when the Major interrupted.
“I think she’s holding a detonator switch. Well, we already know our man isn't frightened of leaving explosives behind…”
Confirmation that it was Mary Lou came quickly. The Major decided he’d had enough of waiting. For some reason the front door was open, he charged through, followed by his men. They rapidly established Mary Lou was the only one left inside.
Hooley was the next one in and quickly made his way to her. At first, she shrank away from him, looking wild eyed and shaking her head.
He knew what was going through her mind. “I know you have a detonator there. One of the men who ran in ahead of me is one of the best bomb disposal people in the world. You’re safe now. We need to get you out of here.”
Despite her ordeal, Mary Lou put up quite a fight about handing over the detonator. “This is my fault. I need to do it.”
It was the Major who persuaded her. “In a minute my man and I have to go in there and try to defuse that bomb. You’re getting cramp from holding the switch so you might accidentally set the thing off.” With a wicked grin and a wink, he added, “We bring the Chief Inspector along for these things because he’s so ugly it makes him bomb proof.”
Reluctantly, she agreed to hand it over and was carefully led away from the house.
Major Phillips suggested Hooley could hand over the detonator switch. The offer was declined. “I’m the oldest one here. If I go up, it saves me having a heart operation – and, anyway, you’re going to make sure that everything is OK, so I’m not at all worried.”
The Major gave him what might be described as an old-fashioned look. “Don’t think this discussion is over. We shall have more words about this.”
Hooley winked at him. “If you’re that confident, why are we wasting time? Go and put those bomb disposal skills to good use. Oh, and could you arrange a cup of tea for me?”
“Don’t push your luck,” said the Major, as he followed the wires back towards the huge fertiliser bomb. He was followed by one of his tr
oopers, the rest withdrawing from the house, a move that did not fill Hooley with joy.
Despite his determinedly light-hearted tone, Hooley was scared. He’d have to be a fool not to be. But he knew he could never have left the young woman there.
He had the detonator in a firm grip in his right hand, holding the switch down with his thumb. To his horror his hands started to sweat, and it felt like the detonator was moving around in his hand. He thought he had a tissue in his jacket pocket and started to search for it with his left hand. Perspiration poured off his head and he felt sick with anxiety. He’d scrunched his toes up and this triggered cramp in his feet. He nearly wept as he fought against the pain and trying to keep a grip on the switch.
At last, he found the tissue. He was breathing heavily and needed to calm down. Despite his earlier brave words, he very much wanted to live and enjoy more life.
He got his breathing back under control and moped his brow, just as the Major reappeared, looking sombre. “I’ve had a quick look at the bomb, and it is a bit unusual. I’ve got one of my best bomb people here and he’s working on it now, but he says the next five minutes are crucial. I won’t kid you; this isn’t looking good.
“Are you OK to keep holding that switch?”
Hooley decided he’d had enough of bravado. “The honest answer is no. But I volunteered and I will see it through.”
The Major patted him on the shoulder.
“You’re a brave man Brian Hooley. Don’t hold your breath but we’re getting out of here. I can sense it. Try not to look at the clock. I’ll be back when we have some information.”
Despite the advice, the DCI couldn’t keep his eyes off his watch. With a little over four minutes gone there was a terrible commotion.
Suddenly the Major and his man came flying out at a dead run.
“Get out!” he shouted as he ran past. “Save yourself!”
Hooley was stunned. So, he thought, this is how it ends. Me looking like an idiot, holding a switch.
He waited for his life to flash before his eyes – but, finally, the Major reappeared, wearing a big grin. “You’re a hard man to scare, Brian Hooley. You can let go now; it is all fine.”
He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
“If you’ve given me a heart attack,” he said, “we shall be having words.”
Epilogue
Two days later, a small group were accompanying Hooley to Guy’s Hospital. It was the night before his heart operation. Arguing over who was going to carry his bags were Roper, Brooker and the Major. He was still apologising for the bomb joke, assuring the DCI he hadn’t known about his heart condition. After the fifth apology Hooley had told him “no more.”
The DCI had tried to talk them out of coming in, but not one of them would be deterred. Arriving at the heart unit, they were met by the administrator, Cheryl McConnaughey.
The other three stood back as she ushered Hooley onto the ward. To his utter astonishment, he was met with a warm applause that grew and grew as more people joined in.
The previous day, the story had emerged about how he had insisted on taking the detonator, knowing that it could cost him his life. It seemed that all those at the hospital were waiting to share their approval.
The DCI could not remember being more embarrassed, but he put on a brave face and accepted the praise before finally retreating to his room. As the other three piled in, he darkly muttered, “If I ever find out who spread that story…”
But the innocence in the room was palpable.
◆◆◆
Two weeks later, the operation was hailed a success, and Hooley was installed in Roper’s flat with a team of medics coming in to monitor his progress. He’d tried to fight off the attention but Roper, backed up by Brooker, had become very angry – so he’d taken the path of least resistance.
The DCI was in the spare room in a new bed that Roper had purchased especially. It had electric switches so he could raise the mattress if he wanted to sit up.
He was just pressing the button when there was a knock on the door. The first to appear was Roper, followed quickly by Brooker and the welcome sight of Julie Mayweather, who had been spending her time in round after round of committee hearings. She was holding a bottle of champagne.
“This needs saving for another day, but you earned this. I’m glad the op went well,” she said, “but we still need to discuss that foolhardiness back in Leatherhead.”
Hooley grinned goofily; he was still on quite strong pain killers. “No alcohol just yet,” he smiled, “it tends not to go with the morphine. Leatherhead is old news…”
Julie smiled at that. “We’ll see about that, hero. But I have a question. How is Mary Lou getting on? She went through quite an ordeal.”
“She contacted me,” said Roper. “Wanted to thank all of us and to let me know that Miss Kitty was safe. She said that the cat will help her get better.” He paused. “But Susan and I don’t get that.
“She also let us know that John Ryder has made a slight improvement. Mary Lou says that although he’s in a coma, visitors are encouraged to talk to him. She sat at his bedside told him what had happened, and thinks it was hearing the news that did him good. There’s a long way to go yet, but it’s a start.”
Brooker had one thing to add. “It was all a bit late in the end, but those financial checks on Ferrari came back totally clear. But we probably guessed that anyway. Jonathan reckons the accountants need to work faster.”
Hooley settled back on his pillows. It didn’t take much to tire him out.
“Your thing about the cat. Put it down to one of those things Jonathan. Put it down to one of those things…”
THE END
Thank you for reading the fourth novel in the Jonathan Roper Investigates series. This book has been a long time in the making because, like Brian Hooley, I had to undergo serious heart surgery while only half-way through this title. It rather put a dampener on things, but I’m very pleased to say I have staged a full recovery and my thanks go out to all the health care professionals who got me back on my feet. Unlike Hooley I didn’t have a Roper to keep an eye on me but team Leese, in the shape of my wife Maria, did a pretty good job.
Back in the real world, I created the Roper character because I wanted to see how someone who is a bit different fits into the world. I hope you agree with me that Roper falls into that category. His autism and lack of social skills provide him with both insights and problems. My sense that Roper would be an interesting fit for the modern world was influenced by my autistic son. He is non-verbal but despite this, it has been a privilege to see him develop in his own way. He is particularly determined when it comes to getting what he wants, and I think this is a trait he shares with Roper. While it was always my intention that the Roper books should be first and foremost, page turning thrillers; I knew they also offered the chance to give people insights into the autistic world. This is where the humour and humanity can be found, as portrayed through the amazing relationship between Roper and Hooley.
If you have read my other novels, you will know that I am a self-published author and as I have already mentioned; writing a review is really helpful as the number of reviews a book accumulates on a daily basis has a direct impact on sales. So just leaving a review, no matter how short, helps make it possible for me to continue to do what I love… writing.
All you need do, is click on the link below and scroll down to the bottom of the page where you will see the option to write a review - Thank you.
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Also availab
le in the Jonathan Roper Series…
Going Underground
A gang of mercenaries is causing mayhem in London. Scotland Yard sends for Jonathan Roper and Brian Hooley. They unearth a terrifying conspiracy between human traffickers and unscrupulous scientists who need a steady flow of young victims to fuel a search for eternal life.
Read Going Underground
I Can See You
GCHQ has been keeping Britain safe for 100 years. But who’s going to keep Jonathan Roper safe when he becomes the target of an evil genius? Brian Hooley is the man, and the case will mean he has to call on previously hitherto untapped resources as he fights to save his friend.
Read I Can See You
The Long Reach
London is the target of a terrorist plot to detonate a dirty bomb in the perfect location to spread a radioactive cloud through the British capital. All eyes turn to Jonathan Roper and Brian Hooley in a battle that will go down to the wire.
Read The Long Reach
To Kill A Critic ~ A Short Story
Successful critics make enemies. So, when the most famous critic of them all is found hanging in luxury tower, no one thinks its suicide. Jonathan Roper and Brian Hooley need to eliminate hundreds of suspects from the worlds of theatre, TV and film to find the killer.
Read To Kill A Critic
DON’T FORGET! Make sure you get the news of the release date… join my reader VIP list at www.michael-leese.com
Copyright © Michael Leese 2019
The right of Michael Leese to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of the publication may be reproduced, stored in or transmitted into any retrieval system, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.
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