by M A Comley
Sean tapped his fingers on the desk under Katy’s intense gaze until Tony answered the phone.
“Sean? What’s up?”
“Tony, I need you to get Charlie out of earshot first.”
“Got it. Charlie, I might be a while. Can you go and pack my tools away, in case they get nicked?”
Sean could hear a chair being scraped across the floor, then Charlie said, “I’m not going anywhere. If this is about Mum, I have a right to know what’s going on. We don’t have secrets in this house. She’d be livid if you kept me out of the loop.”
“Did you hear that, Sean?”
He blew out a breath. “I did. Stubborn girl, just like her damn mother. Okay, the news is neither good nor bad, Tony.”
“Okay, let me sit down then. Hit me with it. I’m going to put you on speaker so Charlie can hear, okay?”
“Fine. You’re both aware of the case Lorne is working on at the moment and what was going to take place today, yes?”
“Yep, the kidnapper was going to run her ragged, or so she thought. Has that changed?” Tony replied.
“No. Up until twenty minutes ago, I was with Lorne. Everything was going according to plan.”
“Was? I’m not liking the sound of this, Sean. Where’s my wife?”
“Tony, don’t go off on one, mate. She’s fine. The kidnapper must have eyes on her, in the form of an accomplice. They obviously reported back to this Warrior fella that I was with her. He rang Lorne and threatened to harm the baby if I didn’t leave Lorne’s side.”
“Jesus! She’s out there all alone—” Tony said.
“Oh no. Poor Mum, how could you let her down like that? I thought you were her friend, Sean?” Charlie’s agonised voice pulled at his heartstrings.
He glanced up at Katy, who shrugged, then he ran a hand through his greying hair. “The decision wasn’t mine to make, Charlie. Your mum urged me to go with clear instructions to ring Tony ASAP, hence the call.”
“Why? Why did she tell you to ring us, apart from the obvious?” Tony asked.
“She wants you to follow her, Tony. You and Joe, in a covert operation. What do you say?”
“What do you think I’m going to say, man? Of course I will. It’s a no-brainer.”
Sean let out a relieved sigh. “Thank God for that. I’m still going to have to run this past the super first. I can’t see her objecting, though she might insist on us calling in an Armed Response Team, too.”
“Do that, Sean, and you will be seriously jeopardising the hostages’ lives. We’ll run things tightly between us. No risks, I swear. The kidnapper will continue to call the shots. The only thing in our favour is that Joe and I will be tracking Lorne’s every move.”
“That’s reassuring in itself,” Sean agreed.
“Wait! Won’t that be putting Mum’s life in extra danger?” Charlie asked.
“Your mum’s life is always in danger, just being associated with the police. Think of it this way: she’ll be under careful scrutiny from one of the best former agents around. That should put your mind at ease knowing that.”
She exhaled noisily. “I suppose so. I’d rather her be in Tony’s hands than yours at the end of the day, I guess.”
Katy covered her mouth and sniggered at Sean’s wide-eyed insulted expression. He cleared his throat. “Exactly. Of course Tony has the extra vested interest in being your mum’s husband.”
“Can we get back to the nitty-gritty details of the case?” Tony said.
“Okay. Her next rendezvous is about to take place soon. It’s too late for you to get on her tail now. Let’s hope he gives her a little more time in between rendezvous points so you and Joe can reach her. She has my mobile to keep us updated on her movements. Can you get on the road, and I’ll contact you once she’s rung me?”
“Okay, I’d suggest she rings me directly, but maybe we should keep things as they are. That way you can keep track of events should anything...”
“What? Go wrong?” Charlie said.
“I’m sure he didn’t mean that, Charlie. Go awry, maybe. A tough challenge lies ahead of all of us, I suspect. We need to be vigilant at all times. Charlie, can you organise someone to be there with you? I know you’ll snap my head off if I suggest you go under police protection,” Sean said.
“I’ll be careful. Carol will be here soon. I’ll ask her to stay over for the next day or so. How’s that?”
Sean bit the inside of his mouth and glanced up at Katy, who nodded her agreement. “Okay, any sign of trouble, and you ring the station ASAP. Got that?”
“Yes, Sean. I understand. Just bring Mum home safely. Promise me that.”
“I promise, sweetheart. Give me your mobile number, Tony.”
Tony reeled off the number, and Sean wrote it down. Then Tony announced, “I’m going to shoot off now. Keep in touch. I’ll pick up Joe, and we’ll head into the city centre. We can do this, bring everyone home safely.”
Sean hung up and placed both hands over his face. “What a bloody mess. I better go and see the super.”
He stood up, and as he passed Katy, she touched his arm and said, “She’ll be fine. If anyone can bring this case to a swift and safe conclusion, it’s Lorne.”
“I know. I have no doubts about that, Katy. My apprehension lies with the kidnapper. He’s obviously leading her into some kind of trap. I feel happier knowing that Tony is watching her back. With his skills, she’ll be far safer than if I’d stuck with her; that’s for sure. I’ll be back soon.”
Sean’s footsteps grew heavier the closer he got to the super’s office. He wondered how he would broach the subject of him deserting a vulnerable member of staff out in the field. He inhaled and exhaled before he entered the outer office then smiled when the super’s secretary looked up at him.
“DCI Roberts, do you have an appointment?”
“No, it’s an emergency. Does the super have a spare minute to see me?”
The older woman smiled and left her desk. She knocked on the super’s door and walked in. Holding open the door, she announced Sean’s arrival then stepped back to let him enter the room.
“Sorry, ma’am. It’s an emergency.”
The super nodded at the secretary to dismiss her and placed the pen she was using on the desk. “Sean? What kind of emergency? Everything all right at home, is it?”
“Yes, everything is fine there.” His mouth twisted, and he chewed his lip a few times. “The case Lorne and I have been working this week has escalated out of our control.” He filled her in on what had transpired and watched the changing expressions cross her face with interest.
“You left her out there, all alone? Did I hear that right?”
Sean tutted and held his hands, palms upwards, in front of him. “What was I supposed to do, ma’am?”
“If I were in your shoes, I’m not sure I would have done the same thing, but maybe that’s the difference between us, Sean.”
“What? Even when the child’s life was threatened? Even Lorne urged me to leave. If she had any doubts, she wouldn’t have told me to take a hike, would she?”
“We’re going around in circles. What’s done is done. You say Tony is agreeable to this? We’ve used him before on that truck job concerning Lorne’s brother-in-law and that trafficker, haven’t we?”
“Yes, there’s no doubting Tony’s ability to keep Lorne safe. The question is what this kidnapper has in store for her as his endgame.”
“I can understand your apprehension; however, there is little we can do about that, given the circumstances. How is the case proceeding? What about the press conference? When is that scheduled for?”
“I’ve got Katy on that. Hopefully, it will take place today. I just wanted to bring you up to speed on things, ma’am, to keep you in the loop and to reassure you that Lorne is in the safest hands possible. Do we have your permission to proceed without getting an ART involved? I know it’s going against procedure, but...”
“Yes, I’ll take the flack if o
r when the shit starts flying, if things don’t go according to plan.”
Sean let out a relieved sigh. “Thank you, boss.”
“Don’t thank me, Chief Inspector. Just do your best to bring Lorne and the family home unharmed, okay?”
“Oh, yes, that is definitely my intention.”
Anne White shuffled the papers on her desk and raised an eyebrow. “If that’s all, Roberts, some of us have urgent paperwork to catch up on. Keep me informed, more frequently than you normally would on this one.”
Sean rose from his chair and walked back towards the door. “Yes, ma’am.”
Feeling considerably lighter on the return journey, his legs whisked him back to the incident room, which was ablaze with activity and a lot of shouting.
He clapped, bringing the team to attention. “Settle down, folks. Does someone want to tell me what’s going on? Katy?”
Katy’s eyes rolled up to the ceiling. “There’s been another one, sir.”
CHAPTER NINE
Lorne had a word with a taxi driver and persuaded him to let her park on the rank, she left the car and sprinted down Soho. She hated this part of town, and she shuddered at the thought of what went on behind closed doors in the shops surrounding her. Ordinary folk were under the illusion that the multitude of sex shops simply provided the general public with fun sex toys, but Lorne’s stint with the vice squad around ten years ago had certainly opened her eyes to the true shenanigans that went on in this area of London. No thanks! Neither Tony nor I need anything like this to keep our marriage fresh in the bedroom department. Makes you wonder if people’s ways of thinking are getting weirder in this day and age. Probably not. Maybe it’s me just getting older.
She trotted past a few of the establishments with burly bouncers on the door, until she finally came to a halt outside the Happy Cock. Her mobile rang.
“Hello?”
“You’re there, right?”
“Yes, as you well know.”
“You can’t get one over on me, Simpkins. You’d be wise not to bother trying from this point on. Do you hear me?”
“Yes. You’ve made yourself perfectly clear. What do you want me to do next?”
“Go inside. The girl behind the counter will have a surprise for you.” Warrior sniggered like a teenage boy attempting his first kiss on a date.
Lorne cringed inside. Shit! What bloody awaits me? The call ended, and after inhaling a lungful of fresh air—well, as fresh as air gets in smoggy London—she entered the shop.
A pretty, leather-clad, petite woman smiled and beckoned her closer with a red-painted finger. “Come. My name is Anastasia. I show you good time, yes?” The girl sounded Eastern European, maybe Russian.
Lorne flashed her ID. “I think you’ve got the wrong impression, sweetheart. I’m not here for any kind of fun. The man on the phone said you would have something for me. What is it?”
“Come. You have to come back here. I show you.” The girl pulled aside the luxurious aubergine-coloured curtain and motioned with her head for Lorne to follow her.
Lorne’s insides clenched in spasms with trepidation. She placed her hands in her jacket pocket. In one, she found the clues she’d acquired so far—the key and the keyring—and in the other, she placed her hand over something that she hoped she wouldn’t need to use to protect herself, her pepper spray. God, I wish I’d had the foresight to arm myself with my Taser.
“Come. Don’t be scared... I no harm you. You enjoy the performance. I promise.”
Lorne stopped short of going through to the back. When she reached the curtain, she strained her neck to see what lay beyond. A series of red glowing lamps lit a narrow passageway with numerous doors. Jesus, the proverbial den of iniquity! “I’d rather not. Just give me what Warrior wants me to pick up.”
The woman laughed raucously until her mascara began to run down her heavily blushered cheeks. “You funny. You do as I say now, or the kid gets it.”
Lorne glared at the woman. “And this sits well with you, does it? To hold a baby’s life in your hands like that?”
The woman’s laughter stopped, and a venomous look darkened her features. “Not me who has baby’s fate in their hands. It’s you. Now, do as I say.”
The woman had changed from welcoming Lorne into her establishment with the promise of something pleasurable lying ahead to downright threatening her. Lorne relented but remained cautious as she agreed to go with the woman.
“No. Stop. I not stupid, lady cop. Empty your pockets on the counter.”
Lorne tutted then did as she was told. “Here, that’s it. I only have the clues your boss has supplied me with so far.”
The woman patted Lorne’s other pocket and shook her head in disgust. “You wait. I tell Warrior you try to deceive me. Give it me.” She held her hand out, and Lorne ignored her hand and slammed the spray canister onto the glass counter.
“There. Satisfied?”
“No. I need to search for more. You destroy all trust now.”
“I haven’t got anything else. Lay one hand on me, and I’ll break your bloody immaculately painted fingers in two. Am I making myself clear?”
Through narrowed eyes, the woman looked her up and down. “You nothing special, lady. I had boyfriend in KGB; he good at torture. You watch yourself, or you get sample of what he taught me.”
Lorne shook her head. “You don’t scare me. I’ve had my share of dealing with psychos over the years, and you’re a pussycat in comparison. Shall we get on?”
“I’m in charge here. This my gaff, not yours. You take the orders. I give them.”
“Whatever. Time’s marching on,” Lorne told her, tapping her foot in annoyance.
“Come with me. No funny business.”
The smell of burning incense invaded Lorne’s nostrils as she followed the woman up the hallway. At the end, the woman gave three short sharp taps on the door. Lorne prepared herself to strike.
A man of gigantic proportions pulled open the door. He had a goatee beard, and his huge muscles bulged beneath his taut shirt and waistcoat. “Is this her?” he asked the woman, leering at Lorne and giving her the once-over.
“Yeah. You have fun with her. She feisty, just the way you like them.” The woman stepped backwards and rammed a hand in the centre of Lorne’s back.
Lorne could do little to prevent herself surging forward into the giant’s arms.
The woman and the man laughed. Lorne stared up at the man. The courage she always prided herself as having diminished quickly as his arms gripped hers, squeezing her muscles into painful submission.
“Please, don’t hurt me.” She despised herself for begging pitifully, but she had to say something. It felt as though the man’s hands were crushing her bones.
He lifted her off her feet, swiftly moved across the floor, and threw her on the bed. The silky satin bedding softened the fall, but only a little. She stared up at the brute.
“Don’t mess with me, bitch. Lie there and shut the fuck up.”
Lorne gulped and nodded. She scooted back against the headboard and wrapped her arms around her knees, never once taking her eyes off the man. She’d only found herself in such a dire situation once before, and that was when the Unicorn had forced her into a hotel room years ago. The similarity between the two events caused her heart to pound faster. I’m right! I have to be. He’s got to be behind this. But how? He’s dead.
Two leather-clad girls entered the room and eyed her with interest. Lorne held firm, fighting the desire to bury her head in her hands.
“Get on with it,” the giant ordered.
The girls promptly tottered on their high heels towards the bed. Barely inches away from Lorne, they began kissing. Their hands fondled and caressed each other’s bodies. Lorne squeezed her eyes shut.
“Open them!” The man’s booming voice filled the room, forcing her to watch the disgusting display.
She cringed as the girls started to undress each other, their tongues intertwining one seco
nd, lashing at each other’s flesh the next.
Crap! Let me get out of here. She scanned the room using her peripheral vision, not wishing to alert the other occupants of her intention to attempt an escape. Nothing. The room was just that, a room. No windows. The only way out was the door she had come through. Shit! I’ve had it.
***
Warrior took the call from his boss while the baby was exercising his lungs.
“Can’t you shut that thing up? I can’t think straight, let alone hear what you’re saying.”
“They don’t come with on/off switches. You want to be here when it really starts. I’m telling you, this is bloody minor.”
“Right, I’ll make this quick then. Are you ready?”
“Yep. All ready and good to go.”
“Expect another delivery soon. And keep that copper on her toes. Don’t let her stop and think for too long. She’s more intelligent than you and me put together.”
“She’s enjoying herself at the moment in Soho.”
Both men laughed.
“I don’t want to know. I’m just glad things are going according to plan. Make sure you keep her team well out of reach, too.”
“Yep, Max called in and said she’d dumped her DCI. She’s now all alone out there.”
“Don’t take that for granted. Her car probably has some kind of tracking device on-board.”
“Damn. Okay, good idea. I’ll get her to dump it.”
“Do what you have to do. Just keep her moving at all times. If nothing else, it’ll mess with her brain. She’s a thinker. Just remember that, and you’ll do fine. I’m organising the endgame now. However, we have more plans to initiate before we get to the climax. I’m going to have fun with her when that finally comes around.”
Warrior sniggered. “I can imagine.”
“We’ll up the pressure, make sure they take our request for that ten mill seriously. Mind you, when they hear about what’s come to light today, they’ll have no alternative but to take us seriously.”
“Yes, boss.”
His boss ended the call first. Tempted to harm him, Warrior glanced at the crying baby, but he had a feeling if he laid one hand on him, the decibels would sky-rocket into another universe. Instead, he went to fetch the child’s mother. He crossed the yard to her hiding place then unlocked and lifted the doors. The woman shielded her eyes.