The Takedown

by Ricky Black

  ‘People are dying though, Daz. You can’t blame me for being scared that the same thing might happen to you.’

  Darren finished ironing, then pulled on the hooded top. He held Clarissa, stroking her hair.

  ‘All I can tell you is that I’m watching my back, babe. Why don’t we go away somewhere when it blows over?’

  ‘Really?’ Clarissa’s face brightened, and Darren felt a warmth in his heart as he realised how much he loved her.

  ‘Start looking for places and we can go in May or June. Anywhere you like.’ Darren kissed Clarissa’s cheek, then gave her a lingering kiss on the lips. ‘I’ve got to jet for now, but I’ll see you later on.’

  Darren left the house, a car already waiting. He scanned the street before he climbed in. Sharma pulled off.

  ‘Don’t you ever listen to the radio or anything?’ Darren had asked Sharma the same thing previously, but he never said much.

  Sharma shrugged as they turned onto the main road.

  ‘Marcus used to flip out about it, saying we needed to be on point.’

  Darren nodded. He’d never worked alongside Marcus, but he’d seen the larger-than-life man doing whatever he wanted around Chapeltown. Darren had been at Carnival when Marcus had been murdered, but in a different part of the park. He’d heard the gunshots, then run and hid with everyone else. There were always little incidents at Carnival, and even last year there had been several stabbings, but Marcus’s murder had been a planned hit.

  He’d since learned the internal situation and knew that Chink had planned it. He didn’t know why he’d turned on Lamont, Marcus and the crew, but he was dead now because of it.

  ‘You ever miss him?’

  Sharma didn’t reply straight away, his face unchanged.

  ‘He was a cool boss. Crazy, but he always had your back if you were down with him. He put me on, paid me well, and never asked me to do anything he wasn’t willing to do himself. He just let the women get to him. Some guys are just like that.’

  ‘Nothing wrong with liking women,’ replied Darren, his tone defensive.

  ‘You can’t make them your everything though, especially when you’re doing dirt. People will use it against you. Look at L.’

  Sharma’s words made sense, and Darren considered Lamont and his reaction to Jenny’s death. Everyone knew Lamont loved her, and Lennox had probably targeted her because of that. Darren wondered if he was doing the right thing with his own girl.

  ‘You think L shouldn’t have gotten with her?’

  ‘I can’t speak for L, but this life ain’t made for wives and girlfriends. With how things are at the moment, it’s gonna be worse than it was a few years ago.’

  ‘Things have calmed down though,’ replied Darren. The OurHood people were cooling off, confused, leaderless and arguing amongst themselves. Police were still neck-deep in Chapeltown, but they couldn’t cause any further harm to Lamont’s crew. K-Bar had taken the hit for that. ‘All we need to do is clip Lennox and the job’s done.’

  Sharma smiled.

  ‘Kid, learn to see all the angles. Lennox killed both of Delroy’s sons and had the man on the ropes. He tried to take out Shorty, hit his daughter, and had Lamont’s missus murdered. You think L’s gonna get him easily?’

  ‘Not easily, but he’ll definitely get him. L’s smarter.’

  ‘No doubt. He’s the smartest person I’ve ever met, but he’s not perfect. He makes mistakes, and he’s at the top, so those mistakes are bigger.

  ‘Lennox is ruthless and has nothing to lose, especially with us picking away at his team and money,’ Sharma pulled up outside the safe house, turning off the engine and again looking at Darren. ‘All I’m saying is, watch your own back, think about your own moves, and don’t expect your boss to sort everything out. He’s hurting, and hurt people can make even more mistakes.’

  Lamont sat indoors, music playing in the background. Lennox was still in the wind, and Lamont had no idea where to find him. Akeem was right. Lennox was probably still in Leeds, but any move he made would be on his terms.

  Lamont had people in place, but the surge of arrests had made them wary. K-Bar remained in prison, fighting a murder charge. Lamont didn’t know how the police had found evidence linking him to the murders of Chink and his people, but it was a massive loss to the team. K-Bar was looking at a long stretch, and that affected everything.

  A bottle of gin and a glass rested on the table in front of Lamont, but he hadn’t touched them. He hadn’t touched a drink since fighting with Shorty. Lamont regretted their fight, but understood why it happened. It had been coming for a long time.

  Rubbing his eyes, Lamont decided to go to bed, the idea immediately expunged by the vibrating of his phone. He picked it up without even checking the number.

  ‘Yeah?’ His voice was toneless. There was no pretence at being in the zone. He needed to rest.

  ‘It’s me, Charlie?’

  ‘How are you doing?’

  ‘Better than you, from the sounds of things. Is this a bad time?’

  Lamont wanted to tell her it was always a bad time, but he liked Charlotte. He didn’t want to alienate her as he had others.

  ‘It’s been a long day. Listen, I haven’t forgotten what we discussed. I’ll have someone drop it on you.’

  ‘L, I’m not calling about that. I heard what happened, and I’m making sure you’re okay.’

  Lamont laughed, staring at the alcohol again.

  ‘I don’t have a choice. I have to be okay.’

  ‘I’m coming to see you. Give me your address.’

  ‘Charlie, I—’

  ‘Now, L.’

  When Charlotte entered the house, Lamont was slumped on the sofa looking at the ceiling.

  ‘Have you eaten?’ She asked.

  ‘Earlier.’

  ‘Earlier when? You need to eat, L.’

  ‘I’m not hungry.’

  ‘You’re certainly thirsty though.’ Charlotte reached for the bottle of gin and the glass, moving them out of reach.

  ‘I haven’t even opened the bottle. Check the lid.’

  Charlotte placed the bottle in the cabinet, then turned to face Lamont. She wore a hooded top under a blue jacket, and ripped jeans, her hair tied in a basic ponytail. Lamont received the full effect of her haunting grey eyes. It was nice, especially after everything else that had transpired recently.

  ‘Do you want me to make you some food?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘I’m going to anyway, so I hope there’s something to cook.’

  Soon, Lamont was playing with grilled chicken breast and crispy vegetables. Charlotte eyeballed Lamont, waiting for him to eat. Tired of the messing around, he began eating the chicken.

  ‘How was the funeral?’ Charlotte asked.

  ‘Difficult, especially considering the fact I put her there,’ said Lamont, struggling to swallow. He closed his eyes for a moment.

  ‘She was attacked. You had nothing to do with it.’

  ‘When someone shot at King outside your house, did you feel he had nothing to do with it?’

  Charlotte paled. ‘How do you know about that?’

  ‘There wasn’t much I didn’t know about back then. King needed to keep guys like me sweet in order to even ply his trade.’

  ‘And Justin?’

  ‘Justin was one in a million. He had everything. He could have done anything. He just couldn’t let the streets go.’

  Charlotte didn’t reply. Lamont felt bad for bringing up King and Justin. Years had passed, but he couldn’t imagine it was any easier for Charlotte to deal with.

  ‘What’s next?’ She asked after a moment.

  ‘Nothing that I can discuss with you.’

  ‘Why don’t you just walk away?’

  ‘That’s not an option.’

  Charlotte was again silent. Lamont finished the rest of his food, then did the washing up, enjoying the mundane task. When he’d dried his hands, Charlotte waited by the kitchen door.
<
br />   ‘Come here.’

  Lamont moved to Charlotte, stiffening as she wrapped her arms around him. After a moment, he relaxed, and he tightly hugged her back, saying everything in the hug that he couldn’t say aloud. Charlotte seemed to understand.

  The next day, Lamont left the house with a protective cordon consisting of Akeem and several handpicked men. They climbed into a 4x4 and were about to drive away when Akeem’s phone rang. He answered and handed the phone to Lamont after a few moments.

  ‘Who is this?’

  ‘A friend. I heard you’re looking for some guys.’

  ‘What about it?’ Lamont had no time for nonsense.

  ‘I have an address. Delete it once you’ve read it. You’ll find something there.’ With a click, the person was gone.

  ‘Do you know who that was?’ Akeem took the phone from Lamont, reading the address after the message buzzed.

  ‘Not a clue. He said we’ll find something at the address.’

  ‘Could be a trap.’ Akeem scratched his neck.

  ‘It could be,’ Lamont admitted.

  ‘What do your instincts tell you?’

  ‘That you and a few of your men should check out this address.’

  Akeem parked across the road from the address. He had two men with him. Lamont was back at home and under guard.

  Signalling for his men to exit the vehicle, Akeem checked his weapon, then followed. They kicked down the front door and surged inside. Akeem heard yells in the front room, but he was on top of the person there before they could move, driving his fist into their stomach and flinging them to the floor. His men searched each room, but found no one else.

  ‘Get off me. You’re all dead,’ the man snarled. Akeem smiled grimly.

  ‘Nice to see you, Nikkolo.’

  Lamont hung up. Akeem had caught Nikkolo at the spot, and they had him at The Dungeon, where they would interrogate him.

  Lamont racked his brain thinking about the caller. He had a few suspects in mind; namely, Shorty, Akhan, or Lennox himself. He couldn’t see Shorty allowing someone else to kill Nikkolo, and he didn’t see Lennox trying the same trick twice, which left Akhan. The more Lamont thought about it though, the less sense it made. He hadn’t spoken to Akhan since the impromptu kidnapping. He would need to sit tight and see what came back.

  Akeem came to Lamont a day later, grim-faced and unshaven.

  ‘He’s gone.’

  Lamont felt nothing. He didn’t care about Nikkolo’s fate.

  ‘Lennox?’

  ‘Nikkolo knew nothing. Gave up some stash spots and safe houses. We found a lot of guns and some small-fry soldiers, but no Lennox.’

  ‘Do you think Lennox planned this?’

  Akeem shook his head. ‘We completely took Nikkolo by surprise. He wasn’t expecting to see us. He started speaking straight away.’

  ‘We’re back at square one then.’

  ‘Lennox can’t and won’t hide forever, but if you ask me, I’d suggest letting some of the heat off. Concentrate on a few small areas, put money on his head, but let everyone else go back to work.’

  ‘Do it,’ Lamont replied.

  Days passed. For the most part, Lamont’s people were happy to be back at work. Lamont spent his time hanging out by the barbers and going to the gym. He heard little titbits about the OurHood Initiative, but nothing major.

  On the Friday, Lamont was eating a sandwich when his phone rang. He didn’t recognise the number.

  ‘Who’s this?’ He asked, once he’d swallowed.

  ‘Did you like the tip I gave you?’

  ‘Who is this?’ Lamont clutched the phone to his ear. This person was a potential link to Lennox.

  ‘I’d like you to come and meet me. There is a warehouse near the Canal. It will say C&C on the building. If you come, you will receive all the answers you need.’

  ‘I don’t even know who you are. That is a lot of trust to give some voice over the phone.’

  ‘You operate within a volatile world, Teflon. You understand the need to take measures to hide one’s identity. I won’t force you, but I promise that without my help, you won’t succeed. Hopefully, I will see you soon.’

  The person hung up. Lamont stared at the phone, trying to piece together what he remembered from the person’s voice. They sounded familiar, but he couldn’t pinpoint where from. It was a tremendous risk, but Lamont didn’t have any choice.

  Taking a shower and throwing on some clothes, he arranged some paperwork that Levine had delivered that very morning. His will and effects had been updated, just in case. Nearly everything would be left to Marika and the kids, but there were provisions for other people. Lamont sighed, then shrugged into his jacket and left.

  Lamont drove in silence. He’d chosen not to tell Akeem where he’d gone, and forbade the guards at his house from following him. Lamont couldn’t help but wonder if he’d made a misstep somewhere down the line, relating to Lennox and Akhan.

  The memory of meeting Jenny for the first time planted itself in Lamont’s mind, and he felt tears prickle his eyes. He needed to focus. It was difficult though. Ever since Jenny’s murder, Lamont had tried so hard to bury his feelings; to work through his anguish as he had when Marcus died, but it was too hard. Lamont wiped away the tears, blowing out a long breath.

  ‘Get it together, you pussy,’ he hissed to himself.

  The warehouse loomed in front of Lamont, and he pulled into a private car park in front. There were men milled around, two of them wearing fitted suits, the rest wearing black bomber jackets and jeans. All carried weapons, and all were glaring at Lamont.

  He froze after turning off his engine, wondering again why he’d chosen to come alone. He didn’t even have a weapon. For the first time, Lamont realised he was truly alone. He had no Marcus, no Shorty, K-Bar, or any of the others who had always watched his back.

  Swallowing down the fear, Lamont climbed from the ride. Immediately the men patted him down, then they led him toward the warehouse. Lamont owned several of his own, but none that matched the scale of this one. It was enormous, and Lamont was sure that his whole house would fit in the expansive space.

  ‘Get in,’ one of the men signalled to a buggy, similar to the ones used by golfers. Lamont did as he was told, and they drove toward an office on the other end of the room. The man who’d accompanied him, jerked his thumb toward the office, and Lamont walked in, preparing to die.

  The room was occupied by two men. The first was an older Asian man whom Lamont had never seen before. The second was a more familiar face.

  ‘Thank you for trusting me and coming, Teflon.’

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Tuesday 31 March 2015

  ‘What the hell is this?’

  Jenny’s father reclined on a black leather chair. His face seemed more lined than at the funeral, and he had dark circles under his eyes as he calmly assessed Lamont. The other man said nothing.

  ‘This is you believing in my word. I trust Nikkolo has been disposed of?’’

  ‘Where is Lennox?’ Lamont asked.

  ‘He’ll be taken care of once we locate him. I can assure you my resources are extensive. This meeting pertains to a more sensitive matter, and I need you focused, not distracted like you were at the funeral. Remember, I told you to watch the angles around you.’

  Lamont took a moment to reply. If Stefanos was going to ignore the third man in the room, then he would too.

  ‘Who are you?’

  Stefanos smiled, the Asian following suit. ‘I know you’re having trouble with your supplier. That should give you a small clue about the scale of things.’

  ‘If you’re in league with Akhan, then we have nothing else to say to one another.’

  ‘Please, control your foolish stubbornness. I know of Akhan. I’ve done business with him over the years. Here, this is for you.’

  Lamont reached for the scrap of paper Stefanos held out to him. It had an address on it.

  ‘What’s at this address
?’

  ‘One of Akhan’s main warehouses. Check it out first if you don’t believe me. We don’t need a repeat of what went down in Cottingley. Send someone either white or Asian though. Akhan and his men have a heavy distrust for blacks.’

  ‘If Akhan is an acquaintance, then why would you give me this information?’

  ‘You’re sceptical . . . You still believe I’m trying to trap you, correct?’

  Lamont didn’t reply. Stefanos grinned.

  ‘I promise you my intentions are above board. Do as you see fit with the information, but I promise you that all will be explained soon enough.’

  ‘Can you trust him?’

  It was midday, and Akeem and Lamont were in the back of the barbers. Lamont had filled in Akeem on his conversation with Jenny’s father.

  ‘I think so. He gave us Nikkolo’s address, and Lennox murdered his daughter. I can’t think of a single reason why he’d work against us.’

  ‘If he worked with Akhan, why would he suddenly switch sides?’

  Lamont mulled that one over. ‘He thinks that we can help him more than Akhan, which means Akhan has likely overplayed his hand.’

  Akeem looked at the address Lamont showed him, his dark eyes absorbing the information.

  ‘If we’re going to do this, we need to move quickly. We need numbers too, in case it’s a trap. We’re stretched thin at present with the hunt for Lennox.’

  Lamont sipped a bottle of water, his brow furrowed.

  ‘We need an insurance policy and some backup. I know where to get both.’

  ‘I was sorry to hear about your girl.’

  Lamont could only nod at Delroy’s words. After a few quick conversations, they had arranged to meet at a restaurant near the city centre.

  ‘Thank you,’ he finally replied.

  ‘I’m guessing you haven’t found Lennox yet?’