Takedown

by Heather Atkinson

  “We could go for one of the Chambers family who aren’t hard,” said Amanda. “Like the mum or the sister.”

  “The sister’s hobby is stabbing people in the eyes with her nails,” said Eddie. “She’ll be as tough as the rest of them.”

  “But not the mother.”

  “What do you think a woman who raised a brood like that lot will be like?”

  “She’s a God-fearing old biddy. It’ll be a piece of piss.”

  “No,” said Ben. “This isn’t the right way to go. We tried kidnapping once and it didn’t work. We need to try something new.”

  “I’m sure the answer lies in the clubs,” said Amanda.

  “Perhaps but setting fire to them when they’re full of people isn’t it.”

  “Then what?”

  “I don’t know, I’m so tired. Let’s go home and get some rest, we can’t think when we’re in this state. We’ll reconvene at the station tomorrow at eighteen hundred hours.”

  Matthew ducked out of sight as they got back into the van and drove off. When they’d gone he made a phone call.

  “Caleb,” he said. “I’m going to give you an address. You and your brothers need to get down here as soon as possible.”

  Matthew watched as Caleb, Kevin and Jason wandered around the unit the firefighters had been using as their base.

  “Why didn’t you call us when they were here?” said Kevin. “That might have been some fucking use.”

  “Because they were all armed and I didn’t think having a shoot-out would help anyone, especially after what you’d just been through. And I’m not hearing much gratitude here. I ran out on Alice to help you.”

  “We are grateful,” said Caleb. “We really appreciate all your help. God knows we need it. We barely got out of that fire alive. We could have lost Vance and Faith today.”

  “This needs to end,” said Jason.

  “They’re not going to stop,” said Matthew. “Not from what I heard anyway. I did record them saying they killed Dillon Enfield. Amanda was the one who actually did it.”

  “I’m not surprised,” said Kevin. “She’s a proper nutter.”

  “Can you use it to nick her?” said Caleb.

  “No. I didn’t have a warrant to record them and if I do then everything will come out about your business and the Maguires will kill me. Two of them aren’t sure about continuing with this. You should be warned that Amanda wanted to set fire to Eclectic tonight when it’s full of customers.”

  “Christ,” sighed Jason.

  “They talked her out of it. Even Ben said that was nuts. Then she came up with the idea of kidnapping your mum.”

  “Why didn’t you tell us that sooner?” exploded Kevin. “We left her with only Abi and Michael for protection.”

  “Because the others shot down that idea too and because I knew you’d put her somewhere safe. They’re all exhausted and sick of it, apart from Amanda, who seems to revel in the violence and excitement and two of them are ready for giving up altogether. They’ve never been weaker. They’ve gone home to rest and will be meeting up at the fire station at six o’clock this evening, probably to start their next shift. You know when and where they’ll be. I suggest you use the opportunity to end this.”

  “You’re right,” said Caleb. “We do need to put a stop to this. I just wish it wasn’t Eclectic’s opening night. Me, Vance and Faith are expected to be there. I think it would be a good idea if we didn’t open Pulse tonight, just in case. We’ll say there’s a burst pipe or something. That means you two,” he told his brothers. “Can help us keep an eye on Eclectic.”

  “Don’t you think it would be best closing that tonight too?” said Matthew.

  “There’s a lot riding on this evening and Jules wouldn’t like it if we cancelled.”

  “Maybe you should call her, see what she thinks? She might not.”

  “Yeah, you’re probably right.”

  “Give me an invitation. I can help you keep an eye on things if you do decide to open.”

  “I’ll put you on the VIP list, if Jules says we should still open.”

  Matthew glanced at his watch. “Right. I’d better get home. I need to go and beg Alice’s forgiveness.”

  “Good luck with that,” said Caleb not unkindly.

  He nodded. “Thanks. I’ll see you this evening then.”

  Matthew returned to his car and drove home, stopping at an all-night supermarket to pick up a bunch of flowers.

  The house was silent and dark when he walked in, so he removed his shoes and coat and crept up to the bedroom. Quietly he opened the door, the glow from the hallway light enabling him to see inside. He paused when he saw she wasn’t in bed.

  “Alice?”

  There was a note on her pillow. Dumping the flowers on the bed, he switched on the light and snatched up the note, which said she was sorry but she couldn’t be what he needed her to be. The note said she loved him but this wasn’t the future she wanted.

  He let the note flutter to the floor and flung open her wardrobe, which was empty.

  “Shit,” he sighed, sinking onto the edge of the bed and burying his face in his hands.

  Faith barely woke as she was wheeled up to the ward and she slept solidly, roused the next morning by her family assembling at her side. She opened her eyes to see Caleb, Kevin and Abi.

  “Hi,” she said, giving them a weak smile.

  “How are you feeling?” Abi asked her.

  “Better for some rest. Have you seen Vance?”

  “Jason, Mum and Michael are with him,” said Caleb. “We split into two groups so the nurses wouldn’t whinge at us for having too many people around your beds.”

  Abi dumped a holdall on the bed. “I got some clothes and toiletries from your flat. Maintenance have given you a temporary front door and boarded up the balcony until you can get a proper replacement after the old doors were battered in.”

  “Good,” replied Faith. With everything going on it hadn’t occurred to her that her flat had been left wide open to burglars. “Was anything taken?”

  “Not that I could see. Do you know if they’re discharging you?”

  “I haven’t seen my doctor yet.” She grimaced. “God I need a shower, I still stink of smoke. Are you all okay after last night?”

  “Don’t worry about us for God’s sake,” said Kevin. “And yeah, we’re all fine.”

  “Any word on you know who?”

  “Voldemort?” said Caleb, unable to resist a grin.

  She scowled at him.

  “No,” he said. “We’ve not heard a thing. The news said no casualties were found at the fire on Division Lane and they know it was arson but they don’t have any leads. So I’m guessing they won’t have got much sleep last night. Terrible eh?”

  “Just awful,” Faith grinned back. She coughed and attempted to reach for the glass of water on her bedside cabinet.

  “Here you go,” said Abi, picking it up and holding it out to her.

  “Thanks,” she said, drinking it down, the tepid liquid the most glorious thing she’d ever tasted. “Right, I’m getting up and taking a shower, then we can get out of here.”

  “Not until your doctor says you can leave,” said Caleb.

  “I’m fine.”

  “Smoke inhalation is very dangerous. It’s not worth risking yourself for the sake of a few hours’ wait.”

  “He’s right,” said Kevin. “And if you try discharging yourself we won’t give you a lift back.”

  “Then I’ll get a taxi,” she retorted.

  “Do you have any cash on you?”

  “No,” she muttered sulkily.

  “Just have some patience. It won’t take long.”

  “I hate hospitals,” she sighed. “I never wanted to be admitted to one again.”

  “You’ve got to admit sis,” said Caleb. “This is much better than last time.”

  “Yeah,” she sighed. “I suppose it is.”

  When Caleb, Kevin and Abi went of
f to visit Vance, Rose, Jason and Michael wandered in.

  “How is he?” were Faith’s first words.

  Rose’s eyes flashed. Was Faith obsessed? “He’ll be fine dear,” she gently replied. “His doctor’s seen him and said he can go home this morning.”

  “That’s great news,” she breathed with relief. She didn’t think she’d ever forget Vance covering her body with his own to protect her from the bullets that had been flying about that warehouse. “I’ve not seen the doctor yet.”

  “He said he’ll get to you soon. How are you feeling?”

  “Oh, fine. Pissed off to be back in hospital but like Caleb said, it’s better than the last time I was here.”

  “That is very true. We must thank the Lord for small mercies.”

  Faith fought the urge to roll her eyes.

  “I’ve been told about what happened last night,” said Rose. “And I’m just relieved you all got out in one piece.”

  “So are we.”

  “What happens now?”

  “I don’t want to discuss it here. Are you still staying at the safehouse?”

  “Yeah,” said Jason. “We thought it safer that way.”

  “You thought right. None of us can go home yet.”

  The family was ushered out while Faith was examined by another doctor, who said she could go home. Eagerly she showered, shampooing her hair twice, which still wasn’t enough to eradicate the smell of smoke and finally she was reunited with Vance outside her hospital room, who was coming down the hall towards her. She wondered if she looked as weak and exhausted as he did.

  He smiled and hugged her, ignoring the way Rose’s eyes glittered with anger and a little fear but he didn’t care. He needed to feel her safe and well in his arms. The others didn’t think there was anything strange about it. They were just two siblings embracing each other after going through an ordeal together.

  “You ready to get out of here?” he smiled down at Faith.

  “More than.”

  The family left together and Caleb and Jason drove them all back to the safehouse in their cars.

  “You both do look unwell,” Rose told Faith and Vance as they slumped onto separate couches.

  “I’ll be fine,” mumbled Faith.

  “Me too,” yawned Vance.

  “There’s been some developments,” said Caleb. “You need to be brought up to speed.”

  “Developments?” said Faith, looking a little more alert.

  “Mum, Michael, why don’t you wait in the other room?” Caleb told them.

  Michael had been a little put out at first to be constantly lumped in with his future mother-in-law but now he was glad because he didn’t want to know what was happening, although he was very afraid for Abi. He didn’t like how increasingly she was being dragged into all this but he was keeping his objections to himself, for now. The family had enough going on. However, he had noticed something odd about Rose lately. The others had missed it because they were so preoccupied with just trying to stay alive but because he’d been spending so much time with her it was more obvious to him. Rose seemed to be becoming resentful towards her two eldest children. There was a spite in her eyes every time she looked at them, it was almost as though she was afraid of them but he didn’t think she was physically afraid. He couldn’t quite work it out but something was definitely wrong. When they’d been told that Faith and Vance had been trapped in a fire, she’d seemed almost disappointed when she’d heard they’d escaped at the last moment and she hadn’t seemed too eager to visit them in hospital. The only thing he could think of was that they had some sort of hold over her but what hold could make a mother wish her own children dead?

  Michael had considered confiding in Abi but she was already under so much pressure and he didn’t want to pile any more on her. He would keep it to himself and keep a close eye on Rose.

  “First of all,” Caleb told his siblings. “My contact got back to me about Adam’s phone. He managed to find a few text messages but that was it as it had been so badly damaged in the crash. He sent them on to me and from what I can make out Adam was there to lure you both into a trap.”

  “That was the first kidnap attempt?” said Faith.

  “It seems so, only they weren’t expecting you to kidnap him instead.”

  “But I brought the car around to the back of the pub alone. They could have taken me then. I wouldn’t have stood a chance against the four of them.”

  Panic shot through Vance as he realised his own actions had put Faith at risk.

  “They didn’t have eyes on you,” said Caleb. “Adam was supposed to send them a message when the time was right. They were waiting on the next street. They probably didn’t want to ruin their squeaky clean reputations by being seen outside such a notorious pub. When Adam didn’t send that message, they must have worked out what had happened. Either that or they saw you drive away from the pub and figured it out when they couldn’t get hold of Adam. The number Adam texted was untraceable.”

  He then went on to relate to them everything Matthew had discovered.

  “I called Jules,” continued Caleb. “She said she would leave the decision of whether to open Eclectic tonight to us.”

  “She still wants to see how we’ll handle this,” said Faith.

  “So, should we open?”

  “Do we want to risk hundreds of people’s lives?” said Vance.

  “But Matthew said the other fighters were dead against setting fire to the place,” said Caleb.

  “What if Amanda decides to do it off her own back?”

  “What would be the point? She needs her crew but they might try some other form of sabotage.”

  “You’re in charge of Eclectic, Caleb,” said Faith. “The final decision is yours.”

  “Shouldn’t it be all our decision? We’re all going to be there.”

  “Whatever you decide we’ll support you but the choice is yours.”

  “I don’t think that’s fair,” said Kevin.

  “In this business we’ll all have to make tough decisions, so the sooner you get used to it the better.”

  “All right,” said Caleb, taking a deep breath. “If we cancel then we’ll lose a ton of money, damage our reputation and piss off a lot of people and Ben and his crew might not even make a move. However, if we do open and they do make a move then we could put people’s lives at risk.” His eyes lit up. “Or we could ensure they’re too busy to bother us.”

  The corner of Faith’s mouth lifted into a smile. She knew he’d see the right path. “How do we do that?”

  “We start a fire.”

  CHAPTER 21

  Faith didn’t really feel up to spending the evening in a busy nightclub but she wanted to be there to support her brother on his big night and to protect their family’s reputation. She sat at a table in the VIP room of Eclectic nursing an orange juice, feeling tired and spent. She’d made an effort and put on a short black dress. Abi had helped her with her hair and make-up as she’d lacked the energy and enthusiasm. Her sister had done a great job of disguising the dark circles under her eyes and the paleness of her skin but inside she felt rotten. In these past few days she felt to have lived a lifetime. She hoped she didn’t look as old as she suddenly felt. A couple of men had hit on her but she’d sent them packing.

  Worst of all, Vance was getting a lot of female attention. It wasn’t surprising because he looked so gorgeous in his grey shirt and black trousers and although he’d politely rebuffed all attempts to get closer to him, Faith was still struggling with feelings of jealousy, her temper not helped by how rotten she felt. He was on the other side of the VIP room to her, chatting to a man he’d gone to school with, two women standing close by constantly giving him the eye and tossing back their hair. He was ignoring them but that didn’t stop her from wanting to put her fist through their faces. She recalled how earlier that day he’d shielded her from gunfire with his own body and knew she didn’t need to worry about other women.

 
; Faith jumped out of her reverie when someone sat down at the table opposite her.

  “Matthew,” she said with a tired smile. “You look good.”

  “Thanks,” he replied. “You look knackered.”

  “I’m okay,” she yawned.

  “Shouldn’t you be resting?”

  “Can’t. Too much to do.”

  “I’m sure it could wait until tomorrow.”

  “Ben and the others could hit back at any time.”

  “I don’t think they will tonight. An industrial unit went up in flames an hour ago and they’re busy tackling the blaze, which I heard is a raging inferno. Funnily enough, it’s the same unit I saw them in earlier.”

  “What a coincidence.”

  “It’s a clever way to keep them off your back and to give them a warning. You won’t be seeing them tonight.”

  “Yes, Tariq and his friends did very well.”

  “Tonight looks like a triumph. The club’s packed.”

  “It’s going down very well. Everyone seems to particularly love the scaled-down version of Blackpool Tower in the centre of the dancefloor. They’re lining up to have their photo taken with it.”

  “It is very impressive. Whose idea was that?”

  “Caleb’s. He’s a natural.”

  “He’s had a good teacher,” he said with a fond smile her way.

  “Is Alice here?”

  His smile fell. “No. She left me.”

  “What? But I thought you’d sorted everything out?”

  “We had, until I ran out on her last night when we were having dinner together.”

  “Oh no, why? Was it work again?”

  “It doesn’t matter why.”

  Faith sighed. “It was because of me, wasn’t it?”

  “Like I said, the reason doesn’t matter.”

  “I’m so sorry Matthew.”

  “It’s not your fault and there was no way I was going to sit back and do nothing while you were in trouble.”

  “I really appreciate that but I didn’t want this to happen.”

  “I know and I’m so grateful to you for getting her to give me another chance but it wasn’t meant to be.”

  She patted his arm. “Are you okay?”