“Shh, he’ll hear you.” Will grinned.
“Your da would like to talk to you, you know? He’s asked your ma to have a word, so he has.”
Will’s movements were stiff, his eyes narrowed. “Has he said anything about what happened?”
“No. Not yet. Are you worried what he’ll say? I thought I’d let you know. Are you going to talk to him?”
Will shrugged. “I don’t know… It’s difficult.”
“Well, you could start that there, by saying you’re sorry. He’s your da, he won't ignore you. Your ma needs your support, so she does.”
“I expect, he’ll phone the police.” Will’s shoulders sagged.
“Well, he hasn’t yet. Why don’t you talk to him? I’ve got to go now. Got to give winter feed to the sheep. If you need help, I’m sure Kathleen or Moira can be there. They can talk to your da… Smooth the way for you.”
“I can't thank you enough, Patrick. You and your family.” Will held out his hand. “For all you’ve been doing for us. I hope it doesn’t bring trouble to your door.”
Patrick shook Will's hand. “We can take care of ourselves. It’s you people who’ve got decisions to make. We can’t help you with those.”
“Yes, I will talk to him. I promise.”
“You’re worried that gang will hurt them, your ma and da?”
“Yes. They have no boundaries. It’s not just me they’ll hurt. They don’t care. If the police pick us up, they'll prosecute me, and that’s fair enough. But, the gang? They’ll come for my parents and my brother. And, they’ll get to me in prison. I believe them when they say they’ll kill me.”
"Your family could go into witness protection, couldn’t they? Police have places like that. Safe houses?"
“Dad would never agree. His business comes first. And mum has her own career.” A tear traced its way down Will’s cheek. “I’ve wrecked everything.”
“No.” Patrick bought his fist down on the top of the tarpaulin truck. “Those gang cowards did this, not you. Men like that enjoy throwing their weight around, making kids like you jump to their tune. They want to get in your head. They're bullies, so they are. Sure we’ve done a few dodgy things in our time, but we’d never take advantage of the weakest and we’d never use children. It’s not you, it’s them and if they come here, we’ll be waiting for them.”
Patrick's confidence impressed Will. He wished he had a little of it himself. However, he felt Patrick and his family did not fully understand the gang's capacity for violence, appearing unphased by the fact they carried weapons.
“They have no conscience, Patrick.”
"They’ll feel the might of the Irish, so they will." Patrick grinned. "I better be off. Go talk to your ma and da."
“I’ll leave you to it.” Will's tremor was back. He told himself it was the cold. But, he knew it was the impending conversation with his father. He’d make it up to his dad. He’d show him he was sorry.
❖
His first knock was pathetic. His second was better, but only just. He held his breath, beads of perspiration protruding like stubble on his forehead.
Kate poked her head around the door. “Will.” She stepped back, allowing him to pass.
“Dad?” He approached the couch-bed, where his dad sat, his head bandaged by Kathleen.
As Kate backed away, her eyes flicked between her husband and son as though needing to reassure herself they wouldn’t fight. “I’ll leave you two to it.”
“How are you feeling?” Will stopped, several feet away, his body still.
“I’ve felt better.” Michael looked into his son’s eyes.
“I’m sorry, dad, I should never have hit you.”
“Oh, it’s not my head… Not now. It’s you I’m worried about.”
Will bit his cheek. “I don’t deserve your worry.”
Michael shook his head. “I was angry and putting myself first, instead of you, and not thinking things through.”
“It was wrong to bring the packages to the house. It was crazy, but I didn't know what else to do.”
“Why? Why did you carry them at all? Were you dealing? Were you helping them deal to others?”
“No. No, never, dad.” Will moved to the bed settee, to sit closer to his father. “I wasn’t helping them in that way.”
“Had you used again?”
“No. I wasn’t using class A. Cannabis, maybe, but not anything harder, I swear. They roped me into helping them. All they wanted from me was my help get others involved. I went along with some of it, only to help Ash.” Will gritted his teeth, stopping himself from swearing. “It was to save Ash.”
“Ash? I told you he was trouble.”
“It wasn’t like that. He got himself into debt with the gang. It’s the way they operate. Offer free drugs, then tell the poor sods it’s not free. They ordered Ash to pay, or get hurt. Disappeared, they call it. He couldn’t afford to pay them all he owed, and they gave him a way out. They wanted to use the flat of a friend of mine. Someone I knew from Bite Size. He’s had drug issues in the past and has help for his mental health. They wanted to stay at his for a few days. I thought it was all they wanted. But instead, they wanted to deal from his place. I was the go-between. Ash asked if I would introduce them to my friend, and I did. But they made me go there when they were dealing. They didn’t trust me not to go to the police or tell you. They wanted to make me an accomplice, in case they got raided. I know I shouldn’t have gotten involved, but I couldn’t stand by and watch Ash get hurt.”
Michael sighed, “Why didn’t you talk to us?”
“You weren’t approachable. I thought you’d go ballistic.”
Michael looked at the floor. “You’re my son. That’s what matters. I was neglecting you and your mum. I couldn’t see, with my head up so far up my backside.”
“What happens now?” Will hung his head.
“You know we can’t carry on staying here, don’t you? We’re front page news. People are looking for us. Police, friends, colleagues, the gang. People think we’re kidnapped or done in. Moira showed us the papers, this morning.”
“What about Max?” Will brought his eyes to his dad’s.
“I spoke to Max, two days ago.”
“You did?”
“Yeah. I used Kathleen’s mobile. I made him promise not to say anything until we were ready.”
“Isn’t that making him an accessory?”
“Will, it’s not a crime to disappear.”
“It’s a crime to waste police time, isn’t it?”
“That's not how they see it. However, those drugs are another case altogether. You must tell them everything. Tell the police how the gang snared you and Ash. We’ll support you, me and your mum.”
“They’ll do me for assault. ABH, even.”
“I’ll tell them this was an accident.” Michael put a hand to his bandage.
“I can’t let you lie for me.”
“Yes, you can. I’m your father and it was exceptional circumstances, because I pushed you into a corner. You know I did. I should have listened to you and I didn’t.” He pursed his lips. “Kathleen says I should have had a few stitches in my scalp, though she tells me it’s healing well.”
“Clive won’t cope with the business on his own.” Will grinned.
“God help the place.” Michael rolled his eyes. “That’s a joke. He’s a good bloke, is Clive. He's helped us grow.”
“You told me…”
“So, shall we contact the police?”
Will pulled the skin of his cheeks in and out, distracted. "Can we hold on a while longer? I need to talk to Ash. He said he would try to sort it out with the gang. If we go to police, now, the gang will trace us. That package…" Will bowed his head, his fingers, in his hair. "It was worth a lot of money. They won't write off that easily."
“But, if they’re arrested, they can’t come after us.”
“They have ways, dad. Anyway, the only person who tied to those drugs is me. Th
e police picked me up after the raid. I’d hidden both packages in a skip. You flushed one down our toilet and the other is under the seat in our pickup. If the police don’t arrest me, that gang of nut jobs will come after me, for sure.”
“I’m sorry, Will, I shouldn’t have flushed the drugs away. I saw red. You think we can get the pack back to the gang and then inform police?”
“Yes. I’m scared if we go to the police now, it’ll be me who’ll do the jail time and not the gang. It’ll be me and Ash.”
“I told you he was bad news.”
"He’s struggling with addiction." Will clenched his fists. "He hasn’t got two pennies to rub together. They keep him that way so they can have him on a leash. They keep him in debt. As soon as the system pays his benefits into his account, it goes back out again, to the gang. At this rate, he’ll never be free of his addiction, or them and they’ll continue using him to recruit other kids."
“Nasty bunch. We still need to talk to the police.”
“And we will, but not yet. If they link me with information given to the cops, I’m as good as dead. They’d get me, even in prison.” Will searched his father’s face, satisfying himself that he’d got it.
Michael rubbed his forehead. “What do you think we should do?”
“I’ll contact Ash. Sean said I can use his phone. I’ll ask Ash's help to get the last package back to the gang. I'll find out what they want as compensation for the loss.”
“If they follow Ash, they’ll know where to find you.”
"Not if Ash tells them I left the package somewhere else."
“I still think we’d be better off talking to police.”
“You said you’d listen?”
“All right, Will. We’ll give it a couple more days. I can't sleep, worrying about the danger we may have put these people in. They’ve helped us so much.”
Will nodded. “I’ll get it sorted as soon as I can.”
31
Tightrope
Scarface leaned back in the passenger seat, banging his head on the headrest.
“What if he doesn’t get back to you?” Dreads puffed out his cheeks, twirling the rings on his fingers.
“He’ll get back. He has to. Ash is the only one who can help him. If he doesn't, we’ll get Brennan when he gets home. Either way, we’ll find out where the rat is, and our stuff. He’ll wish he was never born.”
The two men in the back seat looked at the gun cases at their feet, each thinking about using their shotgun. “We’ll mess him up, bro,” one of them asserted. “Yeah, we’re pumped,” agreed the other.
Dreads kept his eyes on the phone.
“Is it on silent, or what?” Scarface asked, a scowl creasing his face.
“No, it’s on loud. There’s just nothing happening.” Dreads wiped his upper lip.
“Where’s Brennan? He should have been back from picking up his methadone, ages ago.” Scarface punched the dashboard. He owed bad men more money than he’d made. It was only a matter of time before they’d be calling it in. He hawked phlegm in the back of his throat before spitting out of the of the car window. “The longer it takes, the worse it’ll be for them.”
A loud ping had Dreads jumping and knocking the phone into the footwell.
“What are you doing?” Scarface reached for it.
“Sorry.” He shrank back in his seat.
“It’s him.” Scarface peered at the phone, reading out loud, “When you getting get back, Ash? I need to talk to you, it's urgent.”
“That’s him.” Dreads rubbed his hands down his trousers.
Scarface gave him a withering look, speaking out loud as he typed. “Where are you, now?”
The others leaned in.
“He says he’s still with the travellers at Devil’s Bridge.”
“Got him.” Dreads fist-pumped the air.
❖
Yvonne, Dewi and Callum dusted off their stab vests, putting them on over their clothes. Callum fitted a body camera to his before confirming with the armed response officers where they would deploy and that there would be a dog team present. The police helicopter would also be on standby, over the border.
“Ready to go, ma’am?” Dewi checked his watch.
The DI raised her arms, twisting left and right, verifying that she could move in the vest which protected her down to her waist. “Ready.” She took a deep breath. “Let’s hope we get there before Earl Casey and mob.”
“Yvonne, can I have a word?” DCI Llewellyn strode into the cloakroom.
“Now, sir? Can it wait?”
“No, it can’t, but I’ll make it brief.” He flicked his head towards the door, showing he’d like privacy.
Yvonne followed him through it. “Chris?”
“Do you need to go with them?”
“I want to. They’re my team and this is my responsibility.”
“And mine…”
“I’ve got excellent officers with me and I won’t be taking unnecessary risks.”
“Take no risks.” His eyes bored into her. “I mean it.”
She smiled. “Okay. I’d better listen, you’ve got your serious face on.”
He grinned at her. “I’m telling you, you go off on one today and I’ll have you on desk duty and toilet-cleaning.”
She laughed. “Got it. I’ve really got to go.”
“Phone me when you get there. Keep me posted.”
“Will do.”
❖
Sean came running to find his brother. “Pat! Pat!”
Patrick came out of his caravan without his shirt on. “What? What’s going on?”
“Someone's coming. Four men. They're coming down here like they mean business.”
“Oh hell, I’ll grab the shovels. Warn Will, can you?” Patrick ran back inside for his shirt and the baseball bat he kept behind the door. “Come here to find trouble? Well, they’ll get more than they bargained for,” he muttered to himself as he pushed on his boots. It was just him and his brother. The rest of the men were on the farm. The invaders outnumbered them.
Sean banged hard on the caravan door. “Will!”
“What is it?” Kate Harries peered out, her mouth open, eyes wide.
“Men are coming down the road. They’re not from around here. I think it’s trouble.”
“Oh, no…” She reached for her son.
Will squeezed her hand before turning to his dad. “They’ve come for me.”
“Over my dead body.” Michael got himself up off the couch.
“No, dad, I’ll go.” Will ran to speak to Sean. “What’s going on?”
“Run. Go. We’ll sort them out.”
“But-”
“There’s no time, go.”
Will ran in the opposite direction from the road. He headed towards the trees and Devil’s Bridge.
Sean ran back to find his brother. He could see the men, dressed in dark clothing, black beanie hats on their heads. They were now only two hundred yards from the caravans.
Patrick was on his way to meet them. Sean could hear them shouting to each other.
As Sean broke into a run, he saw Patrick lunge at the gang. A shotgun rang out and Patrick stumbled.
“No. Oh, for the love of God.” Sean sped up, running to where his brother had gone down, blood pouring from his leg.
“What d’you want?” He shouted at them.
“Where’s Will Harries?”
“Don’t know who you’re talking about.” Patrick tried to get up.
“Stay where you are, or we’ll shoot you again.” Dreads kicked out at the injured man. Sean prevented the kick from connecting.
A scream went up as Kathleen came running to her sons. “Go. Leave us alone. The police are on their way.” She looked at Patrick’s injured leg. Several pellets had penetrated above and below his knee.
“There he is.” Scarface pointed towards the trees and the disappearing form of the teenager. “Get him.”
32
A tense time
Yvonne spent the thirty-five minutes it took to get to the turnoff for Devil’s Bridge, otherwise known as Pontarfynach, twelve miles from Aberystwyth, worrying about what they would find when they got there.
She checked her equipment, again, taking deep breaths. They pulled into a lay-by, next to the first of the response vehicles. Her breath formed clouds about her head as Callum helped her from the vehicle. She could feel the crisp, cold air on her face and neck as she surveyed the streams that had gouged jagged lines through the hills over millennia.
The traveller’s caravans were between where they were and Devil’s bridge itself, where the grassy mountains gave way to wooded dells.
They brought the dogs out from the vans, where they sat to heel, panting, impatient to get on with it.
An officer clad in black armour, approached them, his eyes visible from the balaclava under his helmet.
He freed his mouth to speak to her. “DI Giles?”
“Yes.” She held out her hand to accept his handshake.
“Andy Bowen. How many people are we dealing with?”
“I can’t be sure. I believe there’s a family of three at risk and we have an unknown number of traveller’s at the caravans, who we will also need to protect. We should secure them as soon as possible. We’re looking for an armed gang of several individuals, we think there’s at least three, but there may be more.”
“Right. We have descriptions.”
“Yes, we sent them through to you this morning. We don’t know if the gang are in the area, but if they aren't, they will be, soon. We know they carry knives and there’s a possibility of firearms. Proceed with caution until we can verify what’s happening down there.”
“Are you happy for us to make our way down?”
“Ma’am.” Callum ran up to her, catching his breath. “Just over the brow below, is Casey’s black Audi. No-one inside. They could be at the caravans.”
“Right, thank you.” She looked to officer Bowen. “We should get down there.”
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