by M A Comley
“Yuck, using her tits?” Johnny replied before he left the house. He returned with Bethany, who looked tired and fearful.
“The kid needs you. The boys have volunteered to keep an eye on you while I get a break from the kid’s crying.”
Her head swivelled between the three men. “That’s not fair. I need some privacy while I feed my son.”
He raised a questioning eyebrow. “Are you refusing to shut the kid up?”
“No, I want to feed my son. I just don’t think it’s right that you expect me to perform in front of an ogling audience. I beg of you, don’t put me through such an ordeal.”
“I don’t get you women. I hear and see it all the time on TV, how you think feeding a kid is the most natural thing in the world, and now you’re telling me you’re refusing to do it?”
“It is, and I’m not refusing... please, don’t ask me to do it in front of you as if you’re treating it like a perverted game.”
Warrior flung his arm in the air. “I give up. Boys, do what you want with her, and if the kid continues to cry because of her refusal to feed him, then kill it.”
Bethany flung herself on the floor at his feet. “No! I didn’t mean to...” He kicked her away and marched out of the house without looking back.
Even his hardened heart skipped a beat when her continuous screams filled the surrounding area. These women have to learn who’s boss. He walked away from the house, the screams becoming less and less the farther he ambled along the overgrown track that led to the house. He picked up a small rock and lobbed it over the stone wall at an inquisitive crow watching him. “Get out of here, you little bastard! Come back later. When we’re finished, there’ll be a corpse or two for you and your mates to have a feast on.” He laughed at his cruel joke then slowly made his way back up the track to the farmhouse.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Lorne glanced anxiously at her watch. She’d been standing outside the Victoria and Albert Museum for about five minutes, awaiting further instructions. She checked her phone to see if the battery had possibly run out—it hadn’t. Where are you? Ring me, damn it! Her people-observation skills had certainly intensified during the morning’s venture, but not well enough for her to figure out who Warrior’s accomplice was in the crowd meandering around her. She hadn’t managed to get a visual on Tony at the location, either, and that only added to her frustrations. Her mobile jingled, and she scrambled to answer it. “Hello.”
“You made it then. I’m late, I know; I got tied up here. New deliveries, people not doing as they’re told, dishing out punishments—it all takes time to sort out, as you can appreciate.”
“What? Please tell me you haven’t hurt anyone?”
“Why ask when I’ve just told you that I’ve been dishing out punishments. Are you deaf now?”
“No. Sorry. Please, there’s no need for you to hurt the hostages. I’m doing everything you ask of me.”
“You might be, but if they start playing up at this end, I’ll ensure they regret their dumb actions. Now, enough of that. Where’s next on your agenda?”
Lorne frowned. “What? I don’t understand. You haven’t told me what clue I should be looking for.”
“No clue here. And stop questioning my orders.”
Lorne’s eyes fluttered shut. “I apologise; it wasn’t intentional.”
“Next?” he repeated sharply.
She opened her eyes and picked out another famous landmark from her list. “Umm... St. Paul’s Cathedral was the next location I jotted down.”
“Then what are you waiting for? Off you go. Let’s see...” He paused for a moment then added, “I’ll be generous and give you an hour and twenty minutes this time.” He hung up.
Lorne trotted back to the car, which she’d parked illegally on double yellow lines, only to find an enthusiastic traffic warden in the process of writing her another damn ticket. Crap! Not again. No wonder the bloody tourists always complain about London’s over-zealous wardens. She flashed her warrant card as she opened the driver’s door. “Sorry, I’m on an important case. It’s a matter of life and death. I don’t have time to hang around.”
The warden glowered at her, quickly signed and tore off the ticket, then tucked it in the plastic wallet and slapped it on the windscreen before she had the chance to pull away. You officious shithead. She sped away, looked back in the mirror at the grinning warden, and gave him the finger. He tipped his cap at her and raised his thumb in response.
Lorne again reported her destination to Sean back at the station.
“Christ, he’s really giving you the run-around. Stick with it, Lorne, not that you have any other options.”
“He mentioned something disconcerting. Told me that he’d handed out some form of punishment to the hostages, wouldn’t give me any indication as to what form that had taken, though.”
“Damn. Not what we wanted to hear. Quick update for you; I know time is precious. Katy’s just about to go before the cameras now. She has Hardy sitting in on the conference, too. No news on the money from either party as yet. Time’s marching on, and the two husbands are beginning to get worried.”
“That’s understandable. Don’t, for goodness sake, let them know that their families might have suffered, will you? Look, I need to concentrate on my driving. I didn’t spot Tony at the last location. I take it he was there with me.”
“As far as I know. I’ll get in touch with him now. Want me to ask him to get your attention at St. Paul’s?”
“Yep, just for peace of mind. Thanks, Sean. Wish Katy good luck from me. Let’s hope one of the viewers can give us a heads-up on the cars and where their likely destination is. I have a feeling these guys are well-organised and have allowed for a few screw-ups along the way.”
“Sounds about right. Just remain alert at all times and don’t forget Tony and Joe will be within a few feet of you if you run into trouble again.”
“Yep. Speak soon.”
Lorne disconnected the call then tapped her fingers as the traffic ahead of her moved in quick bursts. When it ground to a halt at some roadworks, she seized the opportunity to ring home to check on Charlie.
“God, I’ve been worried sick about you, Mum.”
“There’s no need, love. Tony’s following me. How are things there? All right?”
“Yeah. Carol and I were just about to have some lunch. Have you eaten? You need to keep your strength up.”
Lorne laughed. “Yes, dear. I gulped down a sandwich a while back. Can you put Carol on?”
“Hello, Lorne.” Carol’s calming voice came on the line.
“Hi, Carol. No news from me, except this guy is sending me here, there, and everywhere with no real end in sight. I don’t suppose you’ve picked up on anything, have you?”
“Not really, Lorne. The spirits are warning you to stay alert at all times. You’ll be doing that anyway, right? Stay focused. I feel encouraged that everything will turn out for the best, knowing that Tony is following you.”
“Don’t worry about me. Stay safe there, both of you, okay?”
“We will, love. I’ll stay overnight to keep Charlie company. Be safe, Lorne. Let Pete and your father be your guiding light and source of protection.”
“Love you both,” Lorne said then hung up. She wiped away a tear that had dripped onto her face. She was heartened to hear that Pete and her father were watching over her, keeping her safe. She just hoped that was all it was and that they weren’t gathering to help her make the transition to the afterlife.
***
Katy felt surprisingly anxious as she sat in front of the cameras. She didn’t usually have a problem talking to the media. Why this time? Maybe it was because she’d never really been involved in a high-profile kidnapping case before. She turned to Mr. Hardy and smiled. “How are you coping?”
“To put it bluntly, I’m not.”
The reply raised her anxiety levels to their limit. She inhaled and exhaled a few calming breaths.
Th
e cameras rolled, and Katy’s nerves subsided as she reeled off the information regarding the Orion car stolen from Mrs. Jenkins, the Hardys’ neighbour, and gave the go- ahead for the reporters present to start firing their questions.
“What was behind the attack? Do you know, Sergeant?” asked a young blonde reporter sitting at the front of the crowd.
“We believe the car was used as a getaway vehicle. Unfortunately, Mr. Hardy’s wife and child were abducted from their home on the same day. If anyone recognises the vehicle or its number plate—it must be out there somewhere—please contact us immediately. Saying that, there is every chance that this violent man struck again and replaced the Orion with yet another vehicle. Has your vehicle been stolen in the London area this week? I appreciate it’s a vast area, but we’re willing to follow up on any leads that come our way right now. Our aim is to get this family reunited as soon as possible. An infant is at risk here.”
An older journalist raised his hand, and Katy nodded for him to speak. “You say a child and mother have been abducted. Does that infer we’re talking about a kidnapping case here, Sergeant? It seems a little strange the police calling a press conference just about a stolen car.”
“Yes. I’m sorry to have misled you slightly. That’s our main objective here. I wanted to get this lady’s stolen vehicle placed firmly in the minds of the viewers before I led onto the main aspect of this crime. It’s imperative we locate the vehicle first and foremost.”
“I see. It just sounded strange for you not to mention the mother and child as your priority,” the same journalist suggested, smiling smugly at her.
Katy could feel her cheeks warming up. She turned to look at Mr. Hardy, who was staring back at her with a concerned frown furrowing his brow. Katy faced the crowd of eager journalists and responded to the allegation calmly, with, she hoped, more confidence than she felt. “As I have stated already, it was my intention to focus on the vehicle first. Unfortunately, we have no clear indication why Mr. Hardy’s family are being held hostage.”
The same smug journalist asked yet another question: “Is there a ransom involved? That’s usually a good indication of why a family is being held hostage, Sergeant.”
Katy seethed but refused to show how much the infuriating journalist was getting under her skin. She looked him directly in the eye and replied, “Yes, there has been a ransom demand made.”
He tilted his head slightly and tapped his pen against his chin before he continued. “Surely, by going in front of the cameras, are you not putting this family’s life in jeopardy? Don’t kidnappers usually threaten that if the family goes to the police, they’ll hurt the hostages—or even worse, kill them?”
“Usually, that is the case. However, in this instance, the kidnappers haven’t told us that. Do you really think I would be holding this conference if we’d been warned about that?”
“Just asking the question, Sergeant.”
Katy nodded at him. “Any more questions?” She wanted to add the words dumb or otherwise to her question, but she restrained herself.
The crowd fired off a few more insignificant questions, which Katy duly answered before she handed the stage over to Mr. Hardy to issue a plea for his wife and son’s safety. Soon after, the crowd dispersed, and Katy led Mr. Hardy out to his car.
Katy shook his hand and watched him get in his vehicle. “I’m sorry about that,” she said, resting her elbow on the top of his open door.
“There’s no need, Sergeant. I understand completely the angle you were working on. Do you think that journalist was right?”
“About what?”
“Could we have just put my family’s life in more jeopardy by doing the conference?”
“To be honest with you, we have no way of knowing. However, I very much doubt it. I’ll be in touch soon. Stay strong.”
Katy remained where she was for a few seconds after Mr. Hardy’s car had left the car park, mostly to gather her thoughts on how to proceed next. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the smug journalist approaching her, and she intentionally set off in the opposite direction before he could barrage her with more unanswerable questions. She expected him to call out some kind of jibe, but he didn’t. She walked around the block then re-entered the building and ascended the stairs to the incident room.
AJ glanced her way. “Are you all right?”
“Yeah, I just needed a bit of fresh air. Anything come in yet?”
“One or two sightings we need to chase up on. I’m pretty positive about them.”
Her spirits instantly lifted. “Fabulous news. I’ll check in with the boss and get back to you.” She walked into her old office and found the chief sitting at the desk, looking contemplative. “Have you heard from Lorne, boss?”
“Yes. She’s on her way to St. Paul’s now.”
“Is Tony with her?”
“He is. Close behind her, anyway.”
“Then what’s wrong?”
He shrugged. “I can’t really put my finger on it, Katy. Something just doesn’t feel right.”
Katy plonked down in the chair and sighed. “In what way?”
“That’s all I can tell you at present. Never mind my ludicrous feelings of doubt. How did the conference go?”
“It went.”
“Eek... that bad, eh?”
“One bolshie journalist out of twenty isn’t so bad, I suppose. The good news is AJ has just informed me that we’ve got a few sightings of the stolen vehicle to chase up.”
“That’s brilliant. Do you want to do that with AJ this afternoon? Have you eaten lunch yet?”
“No, not sure if I could keep anything down. My stomach is still in knots about the conference.”
“You should have said. I would have taken over if I’d known it was going to upset you that much.”
“I have to get on with things, Sean. I can’t let the baby stand in the way of me conducting my job properly all the time.”
“Well, I’m going to send one of the lads out to pick up some pizzas. How’s that?”
“Sounds like a greasy nightmare that’s sure to make me feel queasy for the rest of the day,” Katy said.
“I’ll get them to rustle up a salad for you. No dressing, in that case.”
“You do that. I’m going to crack on with the team, see how things are progressing. Any news from Perkins on whether he’ll be able to come up with the money or not?”
“No, nothing. Last I heard, he wasn’t holding out much hope. I’ll give him a ring after I’ve placed the lunch order.”
Katy rose and threw over her shoulder as she walked towards the door, “Nice to see you have your priorities in order there, boss.”
She closed the door just in time, before the missile he launched hit the door.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Warrior and his men were watching the conference together in the kitchen of the farmhouse on an old portable TV. About halfway through the transmission, Warrior received a call from his boss.
“Yes, boss.”
“Are you watching this?” The man’s thick Eastern European accent was highlighted as he vented his anger.
“We are. What do you want us to do about it?”
“You’re a bloody idiot. Did you not warn that Simpkins woman what the consequences would be if the case appeared on the news?”
“Er...”
His boss cursed in his own language for several seconds then went quiet.
“Are you still there?” Warrior asked hesitantly.
“I’m here. Leave me to think a moment. Right, the plan has just altered.”
“In what way?” Warrior asked, dreading what direction his next instructions would be taking. His boss always expected the impossible when things didn’t go according to plan.
“Our plans need to be brought forward. Ring the Hardy man, make him aware of the damage he has caused and the fact that his wife and child’s lives are hanging by a thread because of his stupidity. Tell him he only has until seven this
evening to produce the money, or they will both be killed.”
“But, boss, killing his family wasn’t part of the plan.”
The other two men listening in on his side of the conversation stared nonplussed at him and shook their heads.
“I’m not sure my boys are up to that.”
“Well, if they’re not up to the task, then I’ll get a team in who is. What did they expect would happen when they signed up for this job? To sit around playing board games all the time?”
“No, boss. I’ll try and persuade them.”
“No try about it, man—you’ll do it, or none of you will get paid. Am I making myself clear here? I know English isn’t my native tongue, so I want to make sure you comprehend what is at stake if either of you refuse to go ahead with the new arrangements.”
“There’s no need to spell it out, boss. The lads understand and will do as instructed should the money not appear by seven.”
“Okay, until that time, I want your men to go out and pick up the third family. Let’s keep them on their toes at all times.”
Warrior swallowed hard. “Christ, I didn’t think we would get to that point. I’ll need to make room for them here first.”
His boss grunted. “Not my problem. I told you to be ready for every eventuality. Now get on it. And stop being so nice to that copper. Bombard her with impossible tasks and ensure she knows she has the families’ lives, all three of them, in her hands. Heap the pressure on at every opportunity.”
“Yes, boss. Leave it with me.”
“If you find you’re out of your depth, let me know, and I’ll get a replacement to run things.”
“There’s no need. We’re all focused on what needs to take place and the time limits you’ve set. I’ll ring the copper now.”
“You do that. Stop pandering to her and start getting tough. You hear me?”
“On it now, boss.”
Once his boss hung up, Warrior tore around the room like a tornado. When he’d calmed down and got his head around what needed to take place next, he stood in front of his men and glared at them. “Right, either we do as he says, or we don’t get paid. It’s as simple as that.”