by Drew Black
"I don't blame you Jack, and I'll tell you what, I'll be there to see it with you."
"Thanks Tom. I'll see you tomorrow, I'm going to ring Jane."
16
Jessop laid out the plans for Diamonds across his desk. "If we're going to do this," he said, "we're going to do it properly. What I've got in mind will take five of us, no more. For this to work it has to be quick and clean."
"You're not coming John," Jack protested, "this is personal, it's between me and Briggs, no-one else."
"Bollocks." Jessop said securing the plans with a paperweight and an ashtray. "Do you not think that I feel partly responsible for what happened to your folks, Jack? If you'd never met me then none of this would've happened."
Jack looked at Jessop whilst tapping ash into the ash tray. He saw genuine concern in Jessop's face, and something more, maybe sorrow.
"Listen John, it was my choice, you didn't force me to come and work for you."
Tom got up and went and looked out the leaded windows. He watched as golden leaves fell from the large Ash in the garden. The garden was absolutely littered with them, but far from detracting from its appeal, to Tom anyway, they enhanced it.
"I’m coming Jack, and that's an end to it. You've put yourself on the line for me in the past, now it's my turn to do the same for you."
Jack smiled; "Okay, okay John, you win."
"Stop staring out the window Tom and come over here. I want you on board with this, you and Dave Quilter."
"No, not Quilter John." Jack said
"Why not, he's one of our best men?"
Tom went to speak but Jack beat him to it. "Because John, he's the fucker who hospitalised Tom, that's why not John."
"What do you mean?" Jessop said indignantly.
"Listen John, surely I don't have to spell it out to you? Wind the clock back seven or eight years, he and Tom are vying for the same job, and whoops the loading hoist mysteriously breaks nearly killing Tom. That would've been a real tragedy, but as the saying goes; every cloud ... at least Dave got his promotion ..."
"Come on Jack, you can't honestly believe that, and moreover you can't prove it either."
"No, you're right John, I can't prove it, but neither can I prove that Eddie Briggs ordered the arson that wiped out my folks, but both you and I know that he did."
"Okay," Jessop conceded, "he doesn't go, but I haven't heard what you've just said Jack, and I don't want you to go repeating it either, do you understand?"
Jack nodded.
"As far as I'm concerned You, Tom and Dave have all put your asses on the line for the syndicate, and I'm not prepared to start taking sides about what may or may not have happened nearly ten years ago. is that okay both of you?"
"Fair enough." Jack said extinguishing his cigarette.
"You won't hear another word from us about it." Tom agreed.
Jessop nodded and massaged his temples, "So, who the hell do you want then Jack? It's your call." If he was honest, he'd suspected that Quilter may've been involved in Tom's accident at the time, but he'd never mentioned it to another living soul. Hearing Jack blurt it out just like that brought it all back to him. He'd never been able to prove anything against Quilter, but having said that, they'd hardly publicised the matter now had they. Jesus Christ, the people he could trust seemed to be diminishing by the day.
Jack suddenly thought that Jessop looked very old. "We'll take Jimbo and Sam Syner can drive. You alright John?"
"Yeah, I just feel a bit tired, that's all, I'm okay. So, do you want to know about the masterplan then or not?" Jessop said with a smile.
Jack and Tom gathered round.
"Diamonds is a petty secure place, make no mistake about it. It's fitted with bullet-proof glass throughout, it's walls are all made with re-enforced concrete, it has a sophisticated alarm system, and has security personnel patrolling the building and grounds. In short, it's a mini fortress. However, all fortresses have one major downfall." Jessop paused for effect and Jack indulged him by asking what this one major downfall was. "Their secureness breeds complacency."
Jack and Tom nodded; it was a fair point.
"They thought the Titanic was unsinkable, so much so that they failed to carry enough lifeboats, and we all know what happened there. Picture the scene boys; Big Eddie puffing away on his big cigar," Jessop mimicked the gesture using his ballpoint as a prop, "in his fuckin' big hotel with its bullet-proof glass and it's re-enforced concrete with Franklin and all the rest of his cronies to protect him. I imagine our Eddie feels pretty much as snug as bug in a rug holed up in there, don't you?"
Again, both boys nodded.
"Okay, so we have something to work with, let's call it a starting point. The way I've always dealt with complacency throughout my whole career is to combat it with shock treatment. Complacent people don't like surprises or dealing with the unexpected because they're not conditioned for it." Jessop moved in closer. "Let them think they're winning, let them think they're the smart ones, let them think you're a bit dumb if you have to. Do all that you can to lull them into a false sense of security. Then one day, right out of the blue, bam!" Jessop brought his hand down hard on the table making both boys flinch. "You surprise them. So that begs a question, how do we surprise them?” Jessop paused again looking enquiringly at both Jack and Tom.
"A bomb?" Tom ventured.
"Well that would certainly surprise them Tom, I'll give you that, but a bomb’s too indiscriminate. Diamond's has over a hundred staff not to mention the customers. You're not a million miles away though, we break in at two separate points in quick succession of one another. Maybe 'break in' isn't quite the right terminology because the breaches both have to be forceful and successful. We have to be careful though as well because I don't want any bystanders caught up in this. The Burnley Boys maybe a lot of things, but they are not a set of cowardly bastards like Seedmore Park. We are men of honour, that's what the syndicate was built on, and if necessary, that's what it will fall on. We know via our surveillance teams that come hell or high-water Eddie and his thugs play a little poker every Thursday night. These sessions generally last from about midnight through until four or five am. So, this is the ideal time; no customers around, and all the big bugs will be gathered in one room. No way is it going to be easy, but this is most definitely a window of opportunity. It'll take us sixty seconds tops to lay and explode a charge against this wall here, which is about twenty feet from where good old Eddie and the boys will be playing cards and shooting the breeze and trust me the stuff, we've sourced will make the gunpowder plot look like a children’s tea party. Fifteen seconds after the blast you two are going to drive through the front entrance of the hotel in a van. Don't worry about the glass, yes, it's bullet-proof, but it's not tank-proof, as long as you're doing thirty or so, you'll smash straight through it. You'll end up here," Jessop said pointing to the reception on the hotel's plans. Immediately to your right is the door that leads into the restaurant and down to the club, you'll have the security on the door to contend with, but hopefully, Eddie and his boys won't survive the blast. Any who do, it's your job to take them out, any that do manage to get out the other way, Dave, I mean Jimbo and I will pick off like sewer rats fleeing from a shithouse. Our driver, Sam, will be close by, and whatever the result, we leave after ten minutes, no longer.
"I'm up for it." Jack said standing back from the table. The way Jessop put it, he just knew they could pull it off, and if they didn't then they'd cross that bridge when they came to it. One thing was for sure though, he wasn't going to let Briggs get away with murdering his family, even if that meant sacrificing his own life in the process.
"So am I." Tom said patting Jack on the back, "So am I." he repeated.
"Good," Jessop said, "now come with me both of you, I want to show you something."
Jack and Tom looked at one another before following Jessop out of his office."
"You'll need your coats." Jessop informed them collecting his own on the way
out. Outside he started up the Land rover.
"Where are we going?" Jack asked climbing aboard.
"Move over Jack, I'm not sitting in the back."
"Sorry mate." Jack replied, moving over.
"Not far, remember Old Man Johnson, the guy I bought the farm from? Well, you probably both remember, the farm had an underground storage silo."
Tom could hardly forget the place the amount of crap he'd hauled in and out of there over the years. He was well aware that the cool air, down there, helped to extend the life of the old man's produce, but he was pretty sure that the old bastard used it as some kind of warped training or punishment drill whenever the feeling took him.
Jack laughed; "We hated that fuckin' silo, didn't we Tom?"
"Yeah, and that old bastard knew we it as well. Whenever he'd got out the wrong side of the bed you could guarantee he'd have us slaving away in that shithole all day long. I'm sure he derived some kind of pleasure out of it."
Jessop smiled; do you know whereabouts on the estate the old silo's located?"
Tom shook his head.
"It's over there under the rockery." Jack said.
"Smartass." Jessop said as he brought the vehicle to a halt.
"The only reason I know is because I remember Ted Jackson paving it over."
Jessop smiled, "There's two crowbars in the back, one each." he said as he slammed the driver's door. He rubbed his hands together and turned up his collar as he walked over to the rock garden. Water trickled from the fountain, Jessop sat down on one of the garden's benches, his breath visible in the cold night air. He looked up and gazed at the night sky for the very last time.
"It's the centre slab." Jessop said getting to his feet and walking towards it.
"This one?" Jack asked.
Jessop nodded.
Jack and Tom both inserted their crow bars and applied pressure, the slab shifted a little.
Jack took his coat off and handed it to Jessop. They tried again this time the slab gave a bit more; it rose about two inches in the air. A large spider scurried out of the crevice.
"Jesus!" Tom cried as it passed over his boot. He involuntarily shook his foot even though the spider had already gone.
Jack and Jessop laughed. Jack got hold of the slab and started to lift it, both Tom and Jessop helped him. Tom imagined all sorts of horrors would be lurking beneath it but was relieved to find that the spider had been the only resident. Jessop took a set of keys from his coat pocket and inserted one of them into the lock of the trapdoor that lay beneath the paving slab. The key creaked in the rusted lock but turned all the same. Jessop lifted the trap door and a smell escaped from the silo which wasn't totally unpleasant.
In his mind Tom was sixteen again, bear-chested in the hot summer sun, arming sweat from his forehead. God, life was much simpler back then he thought, and his heart ached for that time, a time when he didn't know what having to look over your shoulder a hundred times a day felt like.
"Get the light, would you Tom?"
Tom knelt down and switched on the light. He got back up to allow Jessop to lead the way. They all descended the steps and Jessop unlocked a large metal door that neither of the boys had ever seen before. Inside the silo there must've been over fifty wooden crates emblazoned with various stamps of ownership. Tom could make out that one read property of the British army, but most of the lettering was foreign.
Jessop went over to one of the crates that looked like it was stencilled in Hebrew and prised it open at both ends. He eased the lid back and brushed away straw to reveal two jet black machine guns. He hesitated before lifting one of them out.
Tom gasped.
"Bloody hell John, that's fuckin' scary." jack said walking over to Jessop.
Jessop cradled the weapon in his arms, “The Uzi 1200 Sub-Machine Gun." He said taking a deep breath, "Six hundred rounds a minute, and a range of two hundred yards."
Tom could envisage the terror and bloodshed a weapon of this calibre could inflict, and strangely he felt as though the Uzi could actually sense his fear. It had a menacing 'don't fuck with me' look about it with its black perforated nozzle and oily sleekness. Its ammunition clip was massive.
"I call it the grim reaper." Jessop said.
Jack went to lift its twin from the crate, but Jessop stopped him. "Not yet Jack, I've got more to show you." Jessop said carefully putting the machine gun back. "I could've had a mobile rocket launcher, but I never thought I'd have a use for it."
17
Jessop knocked on the rec-room door. "Come in." he heard from the inside. He entered carrying a large tray.
"Hi Mr Jessop," Christine said.
Cath got up, "What's that?" she asked.
"It's a treat, it's not much, but it's a token of my appreciation for how hard you've all been working lately. It's fish and chips all round."
"Matt, give Mr J a hand." Christine said, nudging him in the side.
"Oh yeah, sorry Mr Jessop." Matt said getting up and clearing a space on one of the kitchen's work surfaces.
"Molly and Jean not down?" Jessop asked.
"No, they're probably in bed by now." Sally said eyeing the newspaper wrapped portions.
"This is really nice of you Mr J." Danny Dawson said getting up to get himself a portion. The food smelt great; he'd always thought that you could never beat the smell of hot vinegar.
"I'll get some plates." Cath said.
"How are you two girls settling in?" Jessop asked Maria and Marsha.
"Very well, thanks, Mr Jessop," Maria replied, "everyone's been really nice to us."
"God, that's hot." Matt said biting into a chip. He frantically sucked air into his mouth in an attempt to cool it.
Marsha seemed very reserved, maybe even sullen Jessop thought. Mind you wearing her hair in such a severe style hardly softened her persona. Perhaps she'd be better wearing it down like her sister. Now he came to think about it, Marsha actually reminded him of Miss Trimble, one of his old schoolteachers. In fact, if she wore spectacles, she'd be a dead ringer for her. Jessop smiled, "I'm glad you're liking it Maria, how about you Marsha?"
Marsha nodded; "Yes, everything's fine, thank you."
"Well, if either of you need anything, don't be afraid to ask."
"You probably won't get it mind," Matt said, "but don't be afraid to ask."
"You've been here too long Mathew, but I could always have a word with HR and rectify that for you, if you like." Jessop said getting up.
"Stay and have some supper with us Mr Jessop." Harry Robertson said.
"Yes, someone get Mr Jessop a beer." Cath agreed handing round the plates.
"No, thanks all the same, but you don't want your boss hanging around when it's your free time."
"Nonsense." Christine said, "Ask Matt, I'm his boss, and he doesn't mind me hanging around him in his free time."
Matt choked on his beer and Maria patted him on the back.
"Honestly, Mr Jessop we'd like you to stay." Christine insisted.
Danny Dawson made a licking motion to Christine from behind Jessop's back.
Christine looked over at him, smiled and then looked back at Jessop.
"I saw that Danny."
"What's that Mr J."
"Whatever it was you did to Christine."
"No guilty governor, I've never laid a hand on Christine."
"Not for the lack of trying." Cath said rolling her eyes.
"Okay." Jessop said sitting back down. "I am quite hungry."
Maria went to fetch his beer.
"Get me another one whilst you're there Maria." Matt said.
"Who fancies a game of scrabble?" Cath said
"Oh God, not me, I can't spell to save my life."
"Yeah, we had noticed Matt." Christine said ruffling his thick thatch of curly black hair.
Sal made up everyone's mind by getting up and getting the box down from the cupboard. "Okay, she said I was always near the top of the class at spelling, so I'll partner Matt. Ca
th, you and Harry, and Mr J and Christine."
"What about me?" Danny Dawson protested.
"You're on duty in less than twenty minutes." Christine said checking her watch.
"We could squeeze in a quick game, surely - perhaps not, he amended on catching the look in Jessop's eyes."
Sally and Matt won by a country mile, but no-one really cared, they all had such a good time. Jessop couldn't remember the last time he'd laughed as much.
Cath Robertson was more than a little tipsy owing to the fact that she'd had at least half a dozen G&T's and Christine felt as horny as hell.
"Right that's me done." Jessop said getting to his feet, "What time is it?"
"Ten past twelve." Harry said.
Jessop winced; "Good night everyone he said leaving the room.
"Come on Cath, I think it's time we retired as well."
"I could’ve danced all night; I could’ve danced all night." Cath sang in soprano as she began to waltz around the room.
"Jesus." Harry said raising his eyes, "Do you see what I've got to put up with?" He opened the door and Cath duly pirouetted out of the room. As he closed the door Harry cringed as he heard gales of laughter from the other side of it. He shook his head and smiled; it had been a good night.
"I'll have a pint of whatever Cath's been drinking." Matt said draining his can.
Christine leant over and whispered in his ear, "Too much beer ruins a man's performance."
"Oh God, that does it for me," Sally said, "whispering in each other's ears, I'm off to bed."
Just then the baby monitor went off. "Right, I'm coming with you Sal, Luke must've sensed I'm up later than normal."
"Good night you two." Matt said as he watched Christine's amazingly pert bottom disappear from the room ... too much beer ruins a man's performance, he thought. God, what he wouldn't give for just one night with her. Mind you, he'd probably only last a couple of minutes before he came all over her. She was just teasing him, wasn't she?
"Sorry Maria, what did you say." Matt said emerging from his thoughts.
"I was just saying what a good game it was, that's all."