As for Lucy Healy, however, he’d then needed to deal with her as soon as possible. It was lucky that he’d had a rifle on the back seat, and that he’d just so happened to know where she lived. If she opened her mouth, he wouldn’t hesitate to end her. And after that, it would be time to finally hit Mason where it would hurt the most.
76
The body bag was zipped up over Lucy Healy, concealing her face for the last time.
Soon after, the press were arriving in a frenzy. Even Captain Cox had trouble inching through the crowd and making her way toward Mason. When she finally arrived on the scene, she pulled him to one side and spoke gently. ‘You’re all right?’
‘I’m fine,’ Mason said, feeling anything but.
Cox removed her sunglasses and leaned with her back on the car. Now she and Mason were both watching over the scene; Chris Healy crying into somebody’s arms, policemen coming in and out of what was once his home. ‘There’s no way you could have predicted this.’
‘No, but…’
‘But what?’
‘The girl said something before it happened.’
Captain Cox glanced over her shoulder, ensuring that they were alone. ‘What?’
‘The police sketch was a lie. She told me that she had to do it, or Anarchy would come back and… what were her words… finish the job.’ Even Mason was having a hard time digesting this one. Never mind that Anarchy – presuming that Anarchy was the one who’d taken the shot – had been perfectly capable of taking him out first.
‘Jesus Christ.’
‘Yeah.’
The following silence was nothing if not morbid. Mason watched the reporters trying to squeeze their way through, thinking once more of Evie. He couldn’t quite describe how much he missed her, but deep down, he was just glad she was out of harm’s way.
‘The Feds are going to love this,’ Cox said, pushing away from the car. She placed her hands on the small of her back, stretching. ‘Which means we’re in a lot of trouble.’
‘I’m sorry.’
‘Don’t be. You were just doing your job – whatever that is, these days. My only regret is that there’s nothing we can officially do for you. ‘
Mason’s attention was stolen by Cox’s phrasing. ‘For me?’
‘I hate to say it, but whoever this guy is, he’s targeting you. How long do you expect him to keep his distance? Let’s say that this is the real Anarchy…’ Cox stepped closer, lowering her voice. ‘He had it in for you, big time. Now that Shaun Chambers is dropping truth bombs, it’s only a matter of time before the heat is back on you.’
Mason hadn’t thought of that. He had assumed that both he and his family were safe while Chambers was locked up. But to know that they could still be targets… ‘There’s nothing you can do?’
‘Well… maybe there’s something, but you won’t like it.’
His odds of being able to defend everyone were slim – especially after seeing what Anarchy was capable of. So, if there was anything he could do to protect them, he wouldn’t hesitate. ‘Try me.’
77
The plan – if you could call it that – was absurd.
Somewhere between the Healy residence and Diane’s house, Mason had run the idea through his mind over and over again. The outcome was always the same, but he knew that there was no guarantee it would happen that way.
Since arriving home and discussing the updates with Diane (who was more than sympathetic, whether he wanted her to be or not), Mason had cooked, cleaned and done anything else to take his mind off it. Following this, he and Amy were granted a little time to catch up before bed.
‘And how’s the boyfriend?’ he asked, already regretting it.
‘We broke up. For good, this time,’ Amy said, matter-of-factly.
Mason sat up quickly, turning to her. ‘What? Are you okay? You should have said–’
Amy only waved a hand and sucked a sip of juice through her straw. ‘It’s fine. He was a jerk. I’m just glad to be rid of him.’
‘Why?’
‘It doesn’t matter.’
Mason put a hand on her shoulder. ‘Why?’
‘He just liked this other girl. It’s no biggie.’
As much as he disliked this Marcus guy anyway (mostly for the pressure he’d put on Amy), Mason found himself worrying about what he might have done to end it. Diane would later tell him not to worry, and that a young girl’s relationships come and go like a sunrise. ‘Well, his loss.’
‘I know,’ Amy joked, and rested her head on his lap.
Midnight soon came, and the girls had both fallen asleep on the couch. There had been no chance of Mason dozing off. Not while the plan was fixed so firmly in his mind. It ate through him like a cancer, stealing his every thought. Even after carrying Amy to bed and settling in with Diane, his eyes stayed wide open.
Anything could happen now, he thought as he watched Diane breathing in her sleep. Mason kissed her softly on the cheek and whispered in her ear, ‘I love you.’ It was necessary, after all, for he had no idea if he would get another chance to say it.
78
Anarchy was cowered in the garden, rethinking his nickname.
Anarchy, he considered so hard that he could have sworn he’d actually whispered it. In the old days, that name was quite fitting. But in light of recent events – bearing in mind how much consideration had gone into testing the good Mr Black – he would have taken any other name. Mastermind almost fell from his lips. The Executioner. Anything was more fitting these days, but it was too late to change; he’d already plastered his name across some of his crime scenes.
Breaking his train of thought, a cat climbed down off the nearby fence and came to greet him. It purred gently as he stroked behind its ear. Anarchy hated cats, but anything would help to pass the time right now. After all, he’d been following Mason for hours, and now he was just waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
The cat meowed quietly and stalked off into the darkness. Alone now, Anarchy peered into the window he had been hiding under and saw the PI’s daughter, Amy. She was growing into a woman now, and he felt oddly aroused as he watched her stir. Her frame was slender and her skin looked silky smooth.
She’s just a child, old pal. You’re better than that.
‘Probably won’t live to see her next birthday, anyway,’ he mumbled as he took out the knife.
He moved to the next window, which he had seen was Mason’s and his girlfriend’s bedroom when the lights were on. Having given them over an hour to fall asleep, there couldn’t have been a better time to get up close and personal.
Quiet as a mouse, Anarchy stepped up to the front door and tightened his grip on the hilt of the knife. ‘The end is here, Mr Black,’ he spoke softly, feeling all kinds of different excitement. ‘The end is here.’
79
The rustling came from outside, and Mason’s eyes flew open.
‘I have to go,’ he said to Diane, who slowly awoke and rubbed her eyes.
Mason grabbed the pistol that Captain Cox had supplied him – a Beretta M92F – and walked through the hallway in the dark. If that rustling was what he thought it was, then he would have to be alert. His heart rate slowly picking up, he pulled out a chair and sat outside Amy’s room, the gun laid in his lap.
It was only moments later that there came a knock on the door. It was gentle, almost timid, and Mason didn’t know whether to dare answering it. Is it who I think it is, or something worse? He was already regretting the plan.
The knock came again, this time in the form of a heavy and impatient pounding.
Mason clutched the gun, snaking his finger round the trigger. Slowly, he got up out of the chair and approached the door, taking steady steps toward it. He was ready to fire, and wouldn’t hesitate if it came to that.
He wrapped his hand around the doorknob, twisted it and pulled the door open.
‘Mason.’ Bill stood outside, looking glum. He was shivering in the night breeze, his shoulders stiff
and his body hunched. ‘There’s been a problem.’
Mason lowered the gun, concealing it behind the door. ‘What kind of problem?’
‘It’s… It’s bad. You’re going to want to come to the police station.’
And leave my family unprotected, you mean? Perhaps it wasn’t that, though. Perhaps he was just being paranoid. Looking up and down the empty street, it looked exactly like the kind of night one would choose to discreetly attack a family. Or was it Amy’s movies influencing his imagination? ‘How long will this take?’
‘A good couple of hours, I’d imagine.’
‘The girls are asleep anyway. Just let me get my coat.’
Mason soon joined him, striding toward Bill’s car. He wasn’t feeling too comfortable with leaving Diane and Amy in the house – not with all that had happened so recently – but what choice did he have?
‘You’ll be back before you know it,’ Bill assured him.
Mason climbed into the passenger seat, hoping – praying – that he was right.
80
Only when he was at the door did Anarchy see the detective coming up the street.
You absolute shithead, he thought, running to kneel behind the nearby bush. Luckily, he hadn’t been seen, but it could so easily have gone south.
The detective ran up the steps and knocked impatiently on the door. It wasn’t long before Mason Black answered. It was convenient, really, that Anarchy was within earshot of them. He now knew that Mason was leaving the house, and that he had a couple of hours to do whatever he wanted to do.
They’re all mine, he thought, running his finger softly along the blade.
When Mason and the detective had left, Anarchy came out of the bushes and approached the house again. It wasn’t the brightest of ideas, but he’d been forced into this situation; he smashed the pane of glass in the door and reached through to unlock it from the inside. He had to act fast now, in case it had woken anybody up.
Now inside, Anarchy headed for Amy’s room. If he had the girl, anybody would bend to his will. She was like a power ticket, and he planned to exploit that. With her in his possession, he would be able to get close enough to Mason’s girlfriend. And then what? Make a bloody mess of the girl and leave a nice little display for Mr Black? The possibilities were endless, but all equally exciting.
Slowly and quietly, he tip-toed across the hallway and pushed the little girl’s bedroom door. It creaked a little but opened easily enough. He was now inside, knife in hand, and his thirst for blood was unquenchable.
‘Don’t move.’
Anarchy felt his body seize up as something cold and hard was pressed into the back of his neck. He knew exactly what it was – the end of a gun. The only question was, who was behind it? It was a woman’s voice – at least that much was clear.
‘You’re mine,’ she said.
He felt a foot press into the back of his knee, and he fell to the ground.
Is this it? he thought. Is this how the great Anarchy goes out?
Not likely.
81
They both sat silently in the car. Bill was resting his chin on a closed fist, while Mason gnawed on his fingernails. It was funny – when she was younger, he had often told Amy off for doing the same thing.
‘How do you suppose she’s doing?’ Mason asked.
‘She’s the captain for a reason,’ Bill said. ‘If anyone can tackle him, it’s her.’
‘I left her in the bedroom with the gun, but I still don’t like it.’
‘No, I don’t suppose you would.’
‘But it’s necessary, right?’
Bill nodded. ‘Right.’
Mason watched the house, refusing to look away. ‘You could have used your usual knock, you know. I had no idea if it was you or not.’
‘I thought about it. I didn’t want Anarchy to know that I do it.’
‘Makes sense.’ I guess. ‘I just hope everything is going okay in there.’
Although both Bill and the captain had justified it to him, Mason couldn’t quite bring himself to see that this whole thing was an acceptable risk. When Cox had first suggested that she sneak in through the back and stay on guard all night, he’d thought she was joking. But when she went on with her plan, explaining that Mason should leave the house for Anarchy to attack, he‘d had to protest. Now, some hours later, Mason wished he’d protested a little harder.
‘They’ll be fine,’ Bill assured him. ‘To be totally honest, your main concern should be the Feds. They’ll come down on us like a ton of bricks when they find out about this.’
Mason shrugged. ‘What can they do? It’s a home invasion.’
‘Sticking to the story?’
‘Yep. Cox came by to visit when I went out for a walk, and Anarchy just so happens to choose that moment to trespass. It’s a case of simple defence.’
‘They won’t see it that way,’ Bill said, cracking the window to let some cool air in. ‘You know what they’re like. It won’t take five minutes for them to–’
Just then, the car’s radio hissed, and Cox’s voice crackled through. ‘I have the suspect under arrest.’
Mason could hardly believe it. He hesitated before climbing out of the car and power-walking toward the house. I have the suspect under arrest. Those six perfect words meant everything to him.
‘See, I told you.’ Bill caught up beside him, with the radio in hand.
‘Yeah, yeah.’
They turned the corner and walked up Diane’s drive. A light was on in the hallway, but nobody was moving around inside. Everything seemed peaceful until the radio chimed again.
‘I’ve been hit! Suspect is on foot, heading out the back!’
Without so much as a singular thought, Mason sprinted for the front door, bursting through it in one swift moment. As fast as he could, he ran to the nearest bedroom – Diane’s – to begrudgingly bear witness to whatever harm Anarchy had caused.
82
Much to his surprise, Diane was safe in bed and dozing lightly. But that didn’t mean Amy was safe, too. Mason ran between the rooms, calling out to her, until he reached her bedroom.
‘Amy!’
‘In here, Dad,’ came the muffled voice from the other end of the house.
Mason ran to her, vaguely aware of Bill behind him and the Beretta tucked under his coat. When he reached the open doorway, he saw Captain Cox on the floor, and Amy was nursing her.
‘He went out the back,’ Cox said, wincing.
‘Right. You two okay?’
They both nodded, to which Mason went for the door and tried his best to catch up to Anarchy. In truth, he hadn’t fully expected him to come to the house. All the same, he hadn’t wanted to put his family in harm’s way. But when Cox had called through and said she had him detained, he’d almost – if just for a second – felt a sense of relief.
Mason slowed down as he rounded the corner, drawing his pistol. Bill was right behind him, and he knew that he was also armed. Up ahead, now just a shadowy figure in the distance, Anarchy was running down a steep San Francisco slope – just like the ones people had written songs about.
But there was something else – a brief flash of light and the sound of screams.
Gunfire.
They ran faster, gaining distance on the man as the cold, wintery air hit their faces. When they were less than twenty feet away from him, Mason could hear his laughter. It was shrill and disturbing the way he chuckled harder as he fired another shot.
A nearby pedestrian hit the ground, screaming and clutching his side. A pool of blood seeped from under him, reaching out across the road.
Mason couldn’t stop, and Bill seemed determined to have his back.
Ahead, Anarchy dived onto a late-night cable car, catching onto the side with his one free hand. His face was still unrecognisable in the dark, and the heat of the moment didn’t make things any clearer.
Then there was another gunshot, and a body slumped off the car.
‘Daddy!’ a l
ittle girl cried, leaning off the edge and crying at the fallen body.
I’m going to get you, you son of a bitch! Mason, his legs tiring, ran faster, faster, until the cable car was within arm’s reach. He made a dive for it, and as his knees scathed the road, he held on to the rail, staring into the face of Anarchy.
‘Good to see you, Mr Black.’ His face was mostly a grin, his dark eyes full of a thousand secrets. He had long, thick hair above a gaunt face. Mostly, he looked haunting. When he turned his back, he fired another shot into a terrified pedestrian. Another. And another. The body-count was rising, and he only seemed to enjoy it.
Mason wasn’t sure how much longer he could hold on. If he didn’t let go of his gun and use both hands to haul himself onto the cable car, he would likely fall and lose this one chance forever.
83
Anarchy had so easily taken the gun from the policewoman. Wasn’t she supposed to be the captain? Whoever she was, she was weak and pathetic.
Since then, he’d not only managed to get away, but with Mason Black finally taking chase, he could gun down whoever the hell he wanted. It was worth it just to see the pissed-off expression on his face. Now, as Mason lay clinging on for dear life at his feet, he was in full control of the situation.
‘How could you?’ a girl yelled at him. She couldn’t have been any older than ten. Tears ran down her cheeks in streams as she mourned the man he’d shot.
‘There are all sorts of evils in this world, little girl. I’m just one of many.’ Anarchy couldn’t help but laugh, turning back to look down at Mason. ‘And what to do with you, Mr Black? We both know you’re gonna have to drop that gun to climb up here. And if you do.’ He held out the gun, a lethal suggestion.
But of all the things Anarchy expected to happen, this was not one of them.
Mason fired his gun and fell from the cable car.
The bullet tore through his knee, making him cry out in pain. As a knee-jerk reaction (or so to speak), the gun fell from his hand and he curled over to nurse his leg. He had never known any pain like it.
Mason Black (The Complete Collection): 6 Gripping Crime Stories: The Complete Collection + BONUS Story Page 46