Riot

by Heather Atkinson

  Bridges sat in his favourite armchair by the fire wrapped in his monogrammed dressing gown, book open and unread on his knee, his mind too busy going over recent events.

  Dwyer had fled. Bruce Spencer had been mown down and killed in a hit and run, the irony of which was lost on no one. Peter had fallen down a flight of stairs and broken his neck and Colin had been found in the bathtub with his wrists cut wide open. Of The Coalition only himself remained. Of course those three deaths weren’t the result of tragic accidents and suicide as the police had said. The Maguires and Laws were eliminating the second Coalition, which had been destroyed even more effectively than the first.

  He sipped his brandy and smiled as the shadow sashayed into the room.

  “I wondered when you’d come,” he said. “I’m a little insulted that I was so low down on your list.”

  Jules smiled and took the armchair opposite his. “I was saving the best till last.”

  “It’s kind of you to flatter an old man. I take it you’re here to finish me off, as they say in the movies?”

  She nodded. “You shouldn’t have listened to Dwyer.”

  “I’ve been continually telling myself that. Brandy?”

  “No thanks, I’m driving.”

  He chuckled. “After all the illegal activities you’ve been involved in you’re worried about drink driving?”

  “I’m just an enigma wrapped up in a paradox. And believe it or not, I do have some morals. Unlike you, I’ve never arranged to lock five people in a van and drive them off a cliff.”

  “I apologise for that. For the record, I was never very happy with that plan.”

  “If it had succeeded I wouldn’t be here now.”

  “Oh the irony.”

  “How did you communicate with Carter?”

  “He approached Dwyer, who brought him to us.”

  “Bastard. Anyway, you attacked us first. Had you not interfered you’d all be alive and well and going about your business as usual. Draco dormiens nunquam excitare est.”

  Bridges chuckled. “Never wake a sleeping dragon. You’re a very interesting woman. I would like to talk with you further but I suppose I won’t get the chance?”

  Jules took a syringe out of her pocket. “Sorry Your Honour.”

  “Oh well.”

  “Everyone will think it was the angina. You won’t suffer the humiliation Dwyer has.”

  “Did you kill him?”

  “No, I don’t kill coppers, if I can help it. He did a runner because he’s a corrupt bastard and he got found out.”

  “He was the intelligent one running away. Sadly my legs are too old to flee.”

  Jules slid the needle into his bare ankle, where his pyjama bottoms had ridden up.

  “You’re being surprisingly gentle,” he commented.

  “Call it respect for a worthy adversary,” she said, straightening up.

  “Once again you’re being kind to an old man. You were always two steps ahead.”

  “I usually am. When you start to feel tired just close your eyes.”

  “I will, thank you. You know, it’s such a shame you chose the path you’re on. Had you gone the other way you could have brought so much to the world.”

  “I don’t regret my choices. Goodnight Your Honour. Sleep well.”

  “I certainly will. I’m so very tired.”

  Jules nodded and quietly left.

  “No point holding back now,” he said, filling his brandy glass to the brim and taking a large gulp. He wondered if he could finish the bottle before the toxin in his body stopped his heart.

  Archie glowered at the boys on the unit of the young offender’s institute he’d been sent to, who were all staring at him. Some were younger but the majority looked older. Craig had been stuck in a different institution to protect him after Archie’s repeated claims that he was going to kill the grassing little bastard.

  “We’ve got a new one,” said the oldest of the boys, who couldn’t have been more than eighteen. “You scared little puppy? You going to piss your pants and call for mummy?”

  Archie just stared at him.

  “What you in for?” demanded the boy.

  “Murdering a copper.”

  “Yeah, right. I bet you nicked some sweets from a corner shop.” He looked over his shoulder to his friends. “Shall we show him what happens to the new puppies around here?”

  “Yeah,” they chorused eagerly.

  The lead boy unfastened his trousers, his member springing free. “On your knees puppy.”

  “No.”

  “If you don’t I’ll…”

  Archie grabbed him by the back of the neck and smashed his head into the wall three times, smearing it with blood and bits of scalp. He released him and the boy slumped to the floor, one side of his head caved in, his friends gaping at him.

  “Anyone else want to call me a fucking puppy?” yelled Archie.

  The boys all shook their heads and stepped aside to allow him to pass.

  “My name’s Archie Maguire,” he announced to the room. “You’ve probably heard of my family. My dad was Alex Maguire. Piss me off and I’ll fuck you up like I did him,” he said, gesturing to the spasming boy on the floor.

  He smiled with satisfaction when they all lowered their gazes. This wasn’t going to be so bad after all.

  “So, what do you think?” smiled Beth, holding a sleeping Ben.

  “It’s nice Mum,” said Alfie. “It’s even bigger than the house we’re in now.”

  “But I like our house,” said Holly. “I don’t want to move. Ben was born there and my best friend lives on our street.”

  “This is only a couple of streets away,” said Riley. “You can still see her all the time and we need a fresh start.”

  “I can’t stay in that house after what your brother did,” Beth told her. “I’m sorry sweetie but we have to move.”

  “Okay Mum,” she said, not wanting to upset her. “Can I have a micro pig?”

  “Well that wasn’t what I was expecting,” smiled Riley.

  “Yes you can sweetheart,” said Beth. “But it will be your responsibility.”

  “Thanks Mum,” she grinned. “This house is great.”

  They looked to Ellie, who was being conspicuously quiet, clutching her pink bunny rabbit to her chest.

  “Do you like it honey?” Riley asked her.

  “It’s pretty. Will Archie live here with us?”

  Riley picked her up and kissed her cheek. “No, sorry cutie pie. He lives somewhere else now.”

  “I miss him.”

  “We all do and you can still visit him, eventually.” After Archie had turned one of his fellow inmates into a drooling vegetable on his first day at the young offender’s home, he wouldn’t be allowed any visitors for a while.

  Ellie hugged him, resting her head on his shoulder.

  “So,” said Beth. “Are we going to buy it?”

  They all nodded, breaking into smiles. Although none of them said it, they were all relieved that Archie wouldn’t be around.

  As Miller strode into the Organised Crime Unit the two male detectives who had given her no end of grief during Dwyer’s reign broke into the inane grins that usually preceded one of their dumb comments.

  “Oh good,” said the sergeant. “The maid’s here. Get us some coffee love.”

  “I think you’re confusing maid with ma’am,” she smiled.

  “Eh? Is your PMT messing with your brain?”

  “No Sergeant but I do have a promotion, to detective inspector.”

  The smiles fell from their faces.

  “What?” they exclaimed in unison.

  “And you useless pair are being transferred to the Cold Case Review Unit.”

  “You can’t do that,” exclaimed the sergeant, leaping to his feet.

  “I just have. Clear out your desks and get out of my sight. Do you have a problem sergeant?” she pressed when he glared at her. “If you do, take it up with the ACC. Dwyer’s not
here anymore to defend you and cover up your breathtaking incompetence. Think yourselves lucky you’re not being pulled up on corruption charges with him. I know you helped him falsify evidence. Luckily for you there’s no proof. Unlike you, I don’t fake evidence.”

  This cowed them and they began quietly clearing out their desks.

  She turned her glare on Stevie. “As for you.”

  He swallowed hard. “Yes Ma’am?”

  She smiled and placed a piece of paper before him. “Here’s your promotion to sergeant.”

  “Bloody hell,” he breathed.

  “You’re a good officer Stevie and an asset to this unit. By the way, the DC and DS I’m bringing in to replace that pair are both women. Think you can work in a female-dominated environment?”

  “I have absolutely no problem with it Ma’am. I’m not like those cavemen,” he said, making the two male officers frown.

  Miller hadn’t thought it would bother him, plus he was so sweet she knew he’d be spoilt rotten by them all. “Good. Now I’m off to clear Dwyer’s crap out of my office. I’ll also be acting DCI until we get in a replacement.”

  “Shall I fetch you a coffee Ma’am?”

  “Only if you want to,” she called over her shoulder, making him grin.

  She walked into her new office, produced the bin bags she’d brought and started tearing down Dwyer’s incident board on the Maguires and Laws, stuffing the lot into the bag. Jules had made her an offer she’d found impossible to turn down. In exchange for leaving their family in peace, Jules would feed her information that would make her look good in the eyes of her superiors while keeping the police off the family’s back. Jules had ‘convinced’ the ACC not to place another DCI in the Organised Crime Unit just yet, so Miller would be in charge of it for the foreseeable future and she was going to ensure her unit was placed on the map.

  “I can’t believe we’ve had to find another headquarters,” sighed Mikey. “I liked The Manor.”

  “We all did,” said Jez. “But this is nice too Jules. You’ve done well.”

  “Ta,” she smiled.

  Their new headquarters was a detached new build, plain and plodding, one of hundreds in the greater Manchester area.

  “It’s boring,” announced Mikey.

  “Don’t be a snob,” she said. “It blends in, which is what’s important.”

  “Suppose,” he sniffed, smiling when she kissed him. “What do you think?” he asked Dane and Mark. Shane had already headed back to Liverpool, the swelling in his face gone, although he was still badly bruised.

  “I agree with Mikey,” said Dane. “Boring. But like Jules says, it’ll blend in.”

  “What he said,” replied Mark, pointing to Dane.

  “That reminds me,” said Mikey, producing a piece of paper from his pocket and holding it out to Mark.

  “What’s this?” he said, accepting it.

  “You really went above and beyond for us and as a token of our appreciation we’ve paid the fees on your mum’s care home. For the next five years.”

  “Bloody hell,” he breathed, opening up the paper. “You didn’t need to do that.”

  “Yes we did. We’ve had so many traitors working for us but you’ve remained true. Not only that but you’re fucking good at your job.”

  “This is too much,” he said, staggered.

  “Course it’s not,” said Jules. “Just accept it.” She kissed his cheek. “You’ve earned it.”

  “Wow, thanks Bosses,” he breathed.

  “Where’s my present,” said Dane, eyes twinkling.

  “The deal we gave you is your present,” said Jules. “But if you’re going to whinge, I’ll send a hooker over to yours later.”

  “I’ve never needed to pay for it in my life.”

  “It’s on me and she’s a contortionist.”

  “I’ll be in after four.”

  “Thought you might,” she smiled.

  “I’ve another announcement to make,” said Jez. “Jules no longer works for us.”

  “What?” she exclaimed.

  “Hear me out sis. You are now boss lady.”

  “What?” she said, looking to her husband, who smiled and nodded. “Three bosses?”

  “You’ve proved yourself more than capable,” replied Jez. “You’re also a perfect blend of Maguire and Law. Everything in future has to be approved by all three of us. If one doesn’t approve then we don’t do it.”

  Jules knew this was his way of making up for his error and for ensuring it didn’t happen again. “Wow, I don’t know what to say.”

  “That’s a first,” commented Dane.

  Mikey wrapped his arm around her. “You don’t take orders from anyone again babe.”

  Jez delved into his brand new desk and produced a bottle.

  “Another expensive bottle of whisky?” said Mikey.

  “Yep. A fifty year old Glenlivet worth twenty grand.”

  “Don’t open it,” exclaimed Jules and Dane in unison.

  Jez smiled and twisted off the top, making them both wince. “Whisky should be drunk, not kept in a drawer.” He poured them all out a glass each. “To the new inner circle. This time I know we’ve got it right.”

  They all cheered and raised their glasses in a toast.

  THE END

  Many thanks for reading my book, I hope you enjoyed it. If you would like to read more about the Chambers family then Blagger’s Code, first book in the Blackpool series, is available to download on Amazon Kindle. I have also written a book about Jules in her earlier years called Venom, first in the Mayhem series. If you would like to learn more about Raven and the sonic devices Jules used, then there are two books available in the Raven series.

  I also have many other books on Amazon Kindle ranging from crime to historical, romance and fantasy.

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  Thank you so much for your support, it means a lot to me.

  Heather Atkinson

  July 2019