The Takedown

by Ricky Black

  ‘So, it’s your turn now. Why?’

  ‘You’ll have to be more specific.’

  ‘Why do you want to bring down Akhan? You’ve become profitable under his charge.’

  ‘I was profitable long before I met Akhan. He forced me into a servitude that I didn’t want.’

  ‘So it’s freedom you desire . . .’

  ‘Always.’

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Saturday 4 April 2015

  Darren swallowed down his fear.

  Akeem had briefed he and Maka. He knew the meeting involved their supplier, but that was all. They were outside a building, five of them in all. Maka was near a wall, staring at the ground. Darren had tried speaking with him about the situation, but Maka wasn’t talking.

  Darren motioned to the surrounding men to drop the bags on the floor. It was a simple drop-off. They had driven the consignment in a white transit van emblazoned with the name of a haulage company. If anyone was diligent enough to Google the company, it would bounce back with nothing.

  Darren checked the time. The supplier’s men had let them in. They seemed unfriendly, but hadn’t been hostile so far.

  Darren was shocked at the size of the building. It had various doors and sections, almost like an office building. Darren noted a camera pointing down at them, but noticed there was no blinking red light. He felt the hairs on his arms stand on end, his palm itching. There was a whirring noise as the metal gate by the entrance slowly rose.

  A black panel van coasted into the main room, followed by a 4x4 vehicle. Men descended from both vehicles, eight in all, all armed to the teeth. Darren didn’t look to Maka or the other men, but sensed their anxiety. They were outnumbered.

  ‘Good of you to join us,’ a man said, climbing from the passenger seat of the 4x4. Darren froze. He’d been briefed on Saj and knew he reported to Akhan.

  ‘There’s the stuff, we’ll be on our way.’ Darren motioned to the men with the bags. Saj grinned.

  ‘There has been a change of plan I’m afraid,’ Saj raised an arm and his men pointed their weapons at the group. ‘Call Teflon. Tell him to come to this warehouse. If he does not come, or is delayed, then you will die.’

  ‘What the hell—’

  ‘There is a time for wondering, and there is a time for action. Make the call to your boss immediately, or die.’

  Darren tensed, slowly reaching for his phone. He located the number with shaking hands and pressed the call button.

  ‘Tef?’ he said after a moment, looking at Saj to confirm Lamont had answered. ‘I’m here now. Listen . . . Saj is here. Yes,’ Darren paused, then grinned. ‘They acted exactly as you predicted.’

  Before Saj could react, Darren and the others hit the floor as doors all around the warehouse opened. Men armed with automatic rifles opened fire on Saj’s crew. They tried turning their guns onto the invaders, but were too slow. They were cut down before they could let off a shot.

  When the gunfire subsided, Darren motioned to the shooters to finish any survivors. As he and Maka left the building, they heard a few bursts of gunfire, then silence.

  They changed into spare clothing hidden in the back of the van, placing the worn clothing into a single black sports bag. Once done, they climbed back into the van and drove away, leaving Akeem’s hired killers to take care of the clean-up.

  Lamont sat in his office with Akeem, waiting for the confirmation to come through. Lamont had suspected a double-cross. The first flag had been the need to wait twenty-four hours. It was too long for a man of Akhan’s calibre.

  Lamont had moved quickly, reaching out to Stefanos about more locations of Akhan’s. Stefanos reported back with the best locations, and Lamont’s men spread themselves trying to find the right one. When they’d seen Akhan’s team setting up a few hours ago, they’d sprung the trap.

  ‘You should have set the warehouse on fire with the bodies inside,’ said Akeem.

  ‘I wanted him to know that he couldn’t beat me.’

  ‘You’re not thinking about the bigger picture. You are already becoming more of a target with the police. This display will only further propel your name out there.’

  ‘Akhan has plenty of enemies. There’s no reason my name should be the one people hear.’

  ‘And, if he works against you with the police?’

  Lamont rubbed his eyes. Akeem was giving him food for thought. He’d never contemplated the possibility of Akhan choosing to work with the police.

  ‘We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.’

  The pair sat in silence until Lamont’s phone rang. He checked the number and put the phone on speaker.

  ‘Yes?’

  ‘It’s done.’

  Darren hung up. Lamont grinned at Akeem.

  ‘How long do you think it will take for Akhan to ring?’

  ‘I’m guessing about ten minutes.’

  Three minutes later, Lamont’s phone rang.

  ‘Nice to hear from you, Akhan.’

  ‘That was a mistake, Teflon. I’m sorry to say you won’t live long enough to regret making it.’

  ‘Just remember, you started this. All I did was retaliate.’

  ‘You really think you can win against me?’

  Lamont hung up. Akeem calmly assessed him, waiting for instruction.

  ‘Put everyone on alert.’

  Lamont had a fitful sleep, tossing and turning, drifting off after three in the morning. He was up by seven, showering and shovelling down some breakfast. He’d spoken with Delroy. They had all bases covered, waiting for Akhan’s fist to come down. Lamont hoped he hadn’t overextended himself.

  Lennox was still a ghost, as was Shorty. Lamont didn’t know if he would ever see Shorty again, and now that the anger had abated, that feeling hurt. Lamont rubbed his eyes. There was no time for sentiment. There were too many things going on. When everything died down, he would locate Shorty, and they would talk.

  Lamont checked in with Akeem, who was on the frontline, organising both their soldiers and Delroy’s. They hadn’t decided how to distribute the drugs without upsetting the flow, so they were being kept in storage for now. The split would be fifty/fifty, and profits would be huge. Lamont was considering the idea of moving them out of town, but it wasn’t his top priority.

  Lamont started to doze off when his phone began ringing, startling him. He wiped his eyes and answered.

  ‘Yes?’

  ‘We need to see you.’

  They were at Stefanos’s home again. Lamont noted that he hadn’t seen Jenny’s mother either time he had visited, but shrugged it off. Jakkar waited in the study. He greeted Lamont with a smile and a handshake. Stefanos offered drinks, but they declined.

  ‘Excellently done, Lamont. You played Akhan beautifully, but he will come for you with all his force now. He’ll attack your men, your drug spots, your family. This is a very dangerous path you’ve undertaken,’ said Jakkar.

  Lamont shook his head. ‘I know what he’s capable of, but I’m the wrong person to back into a corner. He underestimated me, and it’s cost him both money and men. My team are ready, no matter what direction he wants to take it.’

  ‘Are you truly prepared to take it to the wire?’ Stefanos spoke now.

  Lamont already had his answer ready.

  ‘Your daughter was my reason to leave. Akhan prevented that for his own ends, manipulating me into a position that meant I couldn’t stop her murder. No matter what happens, he doesn’t survive, nor does Lennox.’

  ‘This will help you,’ Stefanos fished into his pocket and removed a piece of paper. He looked at Jakkar before handing it to Lamont. Lamont glanced at the scribbled address. He looked up at both men, who were gauging his reaction.

  ‘What’s this for?’

  ‘That’s Akhan’s home address.’

  Lamont clutched the address tightly. His men had worked overtime trying to collate this information in the streets, bribing people and threatening others. Nothing had worked. Now, Stefanos
had pulled this out of nowhere.

  ‘Where did you get this?’

  ‘It wasn’t hard,’ Jakkar spoke up again. ‘It’s sensible to keep a close eye on a dangerous subordinate.’

  ‘And now you want me to do your dirty work for you,’ replied Lamont, letting the pair know he was hip to the attempted manipulation.

  ‘You stated you won’t allow him to survive. We’re simply helping you.’

  ‘This has to benefit you in some way.’ Lamont studied the pair, concentrating on their body language, looking for the slightest slip. They were composed though, almost amused by his attempts.

  ‘It’s up to you if you choose to do it. If you don’t, this will be the last we speak of it.’ Jakkar, slid to his feet. Stefanos followed suit, glancing at Lamont, who recognised it was time to leave. He shook hands with both men as Stefanos walked them to the exit. Jakkar lingered, smiling at Lamont.

  ‘It was nice to meet you, Teflon. I hope this isn’t the last time.’

  ‘I’m confident it won’t be,’ said Lamont, as he left, the piece of paper with Akhan’s address in his pocket.

  Lamont headed home, staring at the address. He had in his hands the power to change his whole life. He couldn’t comprehend Stefanos’s motives, but Akhan had outlived his usefulness with them, and they were willing to let him die because of this. There were questions Lamont needed to be answered, but for now, he had to do it. He had to go to Akhan.

  Akeem drove. It had started raining earlier in the afternoon, and the roads were slick. Lamont played with the leather gloves he wore, trying to imagine how Shorty, Marcus and the rest had done this so often. He thought back to his earlier days, when he’d gone on a job with Marcus, and how terrified he had been.

  Lamont remembered the time he’d fought Ricky Reagan for his life. That murder had stained Lamont, but it was necessary. What happened tonight would also be necessary.

  Akeem was armed. Lamont was too. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d held a gun, but the 9mm felt comfortable, and he wasn’t sure how to feel about that. Akeem pulled to a stop fifty yards from Akhan’s house, turning to Lamont.

  ‘Are you sure about this?’

  ‘Yes.’

  They were shocked at the location. Akhan lived in a simple semi-detached house in Bradford. There were no signs of wealth. A Mercedes was parked outside, but looked several years old. There was a single light on downstairs.

  ‘Follow me, keep the weapon down until you need to use it. He doesn’t look to have any security measures in place, but if he does, I’ll disable them,’ said Akeem.

  Lamont expected sophisticated, state-of-the-art security, or at least guards patrolling. He saw the move for what it was though: arrogance. Akhan had never considered the idea that anyone would get close to him, and now he would pay for it.

  Lamont blew out a breath, trying to calm down. His senses were on overdrive, sure that every sound was something harmful. Akeem disappeared around the side of the house as Lamont crouched in the garden, hoping he was well-hidden. He heard a sound to his left and his heart leapt in his chest as he raised his gun, but it was just a cat. In any other situation, Lamont would have laughed.

  Akeem materialised next to Lamont after another minute.

  ‘I’ve double-checked the perimeter. There might be an alarm when I break in, so move quickly toward the room with the light. If it looks bad, shoot first, ask questions later.’

  Lamont nodded and Akeem took a tool from his pocket, and started fiddling with the back door. It opened and they slipped through. There was no sound, but Lamont crept into the house, listening to the rain tapping relentlessly against the roof and windows.

  Soft piano music was playing from one of the rooms. Other than that, there were no sounds. No one else seemed to be in the house.

  Lamont moved along the hallway, looking at the classical paintings on the wall, illuminated by the soft lighting, dotted along like an exhibit in a museum. Lamont followed the music, his heart hammering, hoping he wasn’t walking into a trap. He paused outside the lit room, he could hear the music clearly now. It was Mozart’s Requiem. He pushed gently at the door, then entered.

  The room was larger than it appeared from the outside. It was full of books, a large desk, and two regal leather chairs. It reminded Lamont of his own study. The music blared from an old CD player against the wall. A Hitachi.

  The room had large, Georgian-style windows. At these windows, Akhan stood, looking out at the rain, and giving no indication he’d heard the door opening.

  Lamont stood and watched him, and for a few minutes, neither man spoke.

  ‘Are you going to do it then?’

  Akhan’s voice startled Lamont. The elderly man faced him now. He wore an impressively white shirt, grey trousers and matching grey tie. His expression was impassive.

  ‘I have to.’

  ‘I know,’ said Akhan. ‘Everything is in order. I worked out what was going on when Stefanos stopped returning my calls. He had you do his dirty work.’

  ‘No, he didn’t.’

  ‘You don’t think so?’

  ‘You forced this, when you forced my hand. You made me stay in this life and you cost me everything. For what? So you could make more money? How’s that going to help you now?’

  ‘This is your destiny.’ Akhan, ignored Lamont’s questions. His hands rested by his sides. Lamont raised the pistol. The cleaning team was already on standby. Lamont wanted to talk more. He wanted to question Akhan, but it had gone beyond that. Both men knew it.

  ‘Just remember. One day, you’ll be where I am, and you’ll be staring down the gun. When you pull the trigger, you will never be free.’

  Lamont nodded at Akhan’s final words.

  ‘Freedom is a myth. Thank you for teaching me the lesson.’

  Then, he fired.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Monday 6 April 2015

  Lamont awoke the next day, feeling strangely light. The spectre of Akhan was removed. The cleaners had done their job, but Lamont had several alibis just in case.

  As Lamont used the bathroom and washed his hands, his only regret was that Jenny wasn’t there to enjoy it with him. Sadly, her murder had been the catalyst to force him to take action. Lennox was next.

  Lamont spent a long time in the shower, then picked out a khaki polo shirt and black jeans. His phone rang as he was forcing breakfast down his throat. Akeem was outside. Grabbing his wallet and dumping the remains of the cereal, Lamont left.

  ‘Stefanos wants to see you,’ was all Akeem said, as Lamont buckled himself into the passenger seat, then busied himself looking out of the window at the fractured streets. Chapeltown was capable of so much more. With Lamont at the helm, spearheading the change, pumping money into the community, it could reach its full potential.

  Akeem stopped outside a small office building. They climbed out and they were shown inside by a dumpy, grey-haired woman with olive skin and a sweet smile. Stefanos rose from his seat when he saw them. Pumping Lamont’s hand, then Akeem’s, he signalled for both men to take a seat.

  ‘Can I get you gentlemen anything to drink?’

  They both shook their heads.

  ‘That will be everything, Agatha,’ Stefanos said to the elderly woman. She left with a swift nod.

  ‘How are you feeling?’ Stefanos asked Lamont.

  ‘Well-rested.’

  ‘I heard from Jakkar early this morning. He spoke of a home invasion. I have people in the local press who will write up that story. The killers will never be found. Akhan’s family will bury him back home, and likely stay there. There is panic amongst the people who worked for him. They are worried about where the next meal will come from.’

  ‘I’m sure Jakkar will plug the gap.’

  Stefanos smiled slowly.

  ‘He has a way to do this. You.’

  Lamont tried not to let the surprise show on his face.

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘Jakkar wants you t
o take Akhan’s place. He wants you to run the entire Yorkshire distribution for the council.’

  ‘That’s . . . ridiculous. I’m not even Asian,’ spluttered Lamont. Stefanos allowed himself a wider grin.

  ‘It’s a brave new world, predicated on trust far more than bloodlines. You have done them a service, and they recognise your worth.’

  Lamont shared a look with Akeem, his bodyguard’s face blank. Lamont had always thought himself a decent poker player, but he was sure Akeem would best him if they ever played.

  ‘Is this an offer, or a demand?’

  A chill descended over the office. Every man in the room knew precisely where Lamont was going with the question, and Stefanos wasted no time answering.

  ‘The days of you being forced to do anything against your will are over. There will be no attempt at blackmail. This is an opportunity for you to assume control of your destiny.’

  ‘By answering to someone else.’

  Stefanos shook his head, looking almost disappointed.

  ‘Everyone answers to someone. But, this life we live is all about power. It’s about ascending so we hold dominion over more and look up to less. You take this position, you will experience true power.’

  ‘Like Akhan did?’

  ‘Akhan was greedy. He sought to overthrow the council, and they took necessary action. I have more faith in you.’

  ‘You believe I should take it then?’

  ‘I do.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘Because I need my daughter’s death to mean something.’

  Lamont’s stomach lurched and for a moment he was back cradling Jenny’s cold body against his. He would never be rid of the images that plagued his thoughts. Jenny shouldn’t have died. Lamont still believed this with every fibre that remained of his heart.

  ‘My daughter was touched by greatness. She hadn’t even begun to utilise her gifts. I don’t want you to waste your potential.’