by Smith, A. T
“Yes, there is an empty container next door, unused and unknown. We could set up in there also, I know my kit is dying to be dragged out from the dust,” Thomas chimes in, referring to the methods of information extraction we tend to use.
“It’s so funny, Abigail thinks you’re so sweet and tame, Tom.” I laugh loudly at Tom’s passion. He has a wicked streak and is brilliant at acting so nonchalant and professional.
“Oh, my sweet, Abigail. She is best thinking that, dear Leighton. I do not want her knowing anything about the real me. She needs me to be the supportive best friend; she doesn’t need to know how much I am involved in your business. Sure, she knows about the computer tech side, but sometimes computers wind me up and I need a bit of face to face contact, like now.” He smiles sadistically, a little similar to the way Scott had before.
“Yes, indeed. You remain as the innocent best friend, it helps her a lot,” I reply, tapping his shoulder a little. “So, we’ll go now, clear the office and then acquire the next door space and set up. Thomas, I want you to hack their systems when we get there and send out a mass email to everyone involved, get them to us ASAP. I don’t care the reason you use, but I need them all there. Then we will wipe them out, or at least most of them. Hopefully with the magnitude of our attack, any survivors would be more than stupid to try anything further.” My plan is brilliant and just knowing of what is to come has my blood racing and my pulse hammering.
“Let’s go.” I stand, walking through to my office. I turn a dial on the wall and open my personal armoury, only small but big enough to fit my weapons in. I remove four guns, loading their clips and slipping them in to different places on my body. I collect two knives and slide them into my boot.
I stand around, waiting for my companions to be ready. We exit through the underground garage and jump into one of my least used vehicles. These psychotic men will be on the lookout for my Bentley, Ferrari or Audis. I start the ignition on my Land Rover, letting the beast roar. The boot is enormous, big enough for a body, and fits our equipment in perfectly.
“I tell ya what, Boss. My adrenaline is pumping. This is gonna be epic.” Scott is practically bouncing in his seat like a child that has been told they are going to Disney Land.
“You’re sick, you know that right?” I tell him, shifting gear to drive faster.
“No, motherfucker, I’m a sadist. Big difference. This is gonna be like Christmas to me, Leigh. Look, I’m already busting a hard-on for it.” I laugh at my sickening friend, as he sits in the back seat of my car and stares down at his groin like it is the most impressive thing in the world.
“You’re going to need a microscope if it’s your cock you’re searching for, Scott,” Thomas bursts out, laughing at himself. I have officially entered the school playground again, but it is refreshing to be there again.
“Ha-ha, funny one aren’t you? How long did it take you to get a grip on ya balls to go after Nate?” Scott retaliates, raising his eyebrows. Beside me, Antonio is in hysterics, silently. His body is shaking with laughter at the pair of them.
“That would be a good comeback, if it wasn’t for the fact he was sucking on my nuts before you guys even knew.” It is turning into a cockfight. “And let me tell you, god he’s so fucking good at taking my...”
“Okay, that’s enough. I don't need to have the image of the two of you in my head when we’re about to do what we are. Enough with the talk about cocks and balls, we’re nearly there. Get it together guys.” I order my men, indicating to go off the main road and towards the industrial estate once again. This journey brings my mind back to the last time I was here and the awful situation that had brought me there.
I just hope I don’t see Kalina there, because after what she has said to my wife I am inclined to kill her too.
“Let’s go,” I say, parking a little up from the Blackman’s warehouse and turn my car off, letting the car park fall to bitter darkness again. “I want you all to be extra cautious, watch your backs. I want every person taken out, nobody is to live,” I inform the four men sitting in the car with me. Marcus, Antonio, Thomas and Scott all agree with me, undoing the doors and climbing out.
I round my car to the boot, open it and remove the things I need. My T-Kit also known as torture kit, my extra guns and spare clips and finally, my bullet-proof vest. I undo my shirt, strapping the vest around my body before replacing my shirt. The men follow suit, taking extra precaution by protecting their bodies.
My pulse is hammering, my blood pumping furiously around my over-excited body. My hands are clammy and my lungs are drawing oxygen in quickly. Although everything in my mind is skyrocketed and over-excited, my mind is calm and at ease. I'm so ready for this. I should have done this when I disposed of Philip, not assume that the silence meant this war was over. I have been so wrong to trust the silence and now, I am ending it, leaving it forever in the dirt.
I begin walking through the blackened car park, my hand against my side holster, reaching for my Sig in case I need it. We arrive at the storage unit next door, opening it with ease and walking inside. It’s dark throughout, with a tangible musty smell permeating the air. It doesn’t take me long to find the light switch and illuminate the abandoned building. It is perfect for what we need. Empty, spacious and only one way in and out.
We spend ten minutes setting it up with various chairs and tables, chains hanging from the ceilings and walls, and laying my kit out ready. Even just seeing it will hopefully scare them enough.
When finished, we walk back outside, and towards the only used building in site. With a steady hand on the door handle, and an eerily quiet amount of noise non-existent from inside, I open the door quietly and usher the men inside.
It is empty inside, but the computer at the reception is still on and buzzing as the fan over heats. I point to it, silently instructing Thomas to get onto it, to send a message to everyone in their sick family group.
I can hear the very dimmed sounds coming from the back office once again, the same as they had when Philip was here. I lower the blinds at the front of the building and lock the door, to prevent anyone coming in. “If anyone comes through, kill them Tom,” I whisper and he nods in return, taking his gun out and cocking it, before laying it on the desk in front of him. I can see the silencer and thank God, my team are smart enough to remember them.
I signal to the back of the building, towards the closed door. The pin pad on the wall has been replaced once again and so I copy my previous attack and aim my gun at the panel and shoot. There is no noise, the silencer muting it. The red light switches to green and the door pops open a little, the bolt holding it closed, releasing. The four of us push it open, revealing the inside of the room.
I feel as though I hit the jackpot when I see one man sitting behind the desk and five others surrounding it. Instantly I shoot two of the standees down, relishing as their heavy bodies thump to the floor and their blood begins to seep out. Scott, Ant and Marcus focus on the other three standing.
They all drop like sacks of potatoes, leaving the man sitting at the desk in shock. His hand is under the table, fiddling. “I suggest, you show me your hands now, on the desk,” I shout, pointing the gun at his head.
He smiles at me, almost as sadistically as myself. “Leighton Lock, how very pleasant of you to show yourself. I bet you just loved the thought of coming here, didn’t you?” he asks me, standing up and rounding his desk. “Useless weren’t they?” he says, kicking one of the dead bodies from his way.
“Sit the fuck down,” I shout again, cocking my gun.
“Tut, tut, tut, Mr Lock. I didn’t figure you for someone with no manners. How about we all sit down and talk about why you have invited yourself to my office.” He is a cocky son of a bitch and it is pissing me off majorly.
“How about we kill you now, you cocky cunt,” Scott speaks, walking towards the jackass.
“And what would that achieve? More bloodshed? There is a way we can end this, you know?” he tells me, w
alking back around his pristine desk, the same one my wife had been fucked on by Philip. Just looking at the thing has my rage over a manageable limit.
“Are you for fucking real? There is no way to end this other than killing every last one of you. You have taken the last thing from us and now, we end you,” I tell him, aiming at his head and preparing to pull the trigger.
“Ahhh, but wouldn’t you want to know who killed the twin?”
“What the fuck do you mean, Blackman?” I snap.
“Blackman? No sir, not me. They were a useless bunch, weren’t they? They are gone from this world and the next, I’m much fucking worse, I assure you.” He is pissing me off, making it hard to not gut him and leave him to hang.
“Talk now!” I order him, walking over and pushing him into his chair.
“If you think it was one of my men, or even I that shot the twin, then you are sorely mistaken, Mr Lock. I have no issues with you, hence why there has been no contact on my behalf since you killed Mr Blackman. Now, I do happen to know who did kill your friend, but I want something in return for that information.” I raise my eyebrow, confused. It is weird how they randomly came out of nowhere again, after so long.
“Tell me.” I press the muzzle of my Sig to his temple, hard.
“What can you offer me, Leighton?” he asks snarkily and I want to blow his brains out now, but I need this information.
“What do you want? That is more the question isn’t it?” I reply, keeping eye contact with my men as they stand on the opposite side of the desk. “Go and tell Tom to wait,” I order them, not wanting to turn this into a war if it is the wrong people we are starting it with.
“I happen to admire your skill and precision and that of your team. I never wanted to be drawn into the battle Phillip had with your family. It was wrong of him to do what he had done to Antonio’s sister and worse so to your wife. I do not admire how he hired two women to do his bidding, Kalina and Debbie. That was a poor manoeuvre and has ended their lives as well as everyone else he holds dear.” I gasp, along with Antonio.
“What do you mean ended their lives? Where is Debbie?” I snap, needing to know if she is alive. She was pregnant, with my child or Ant's.
“She was disposed of; her children are in the hands of another family. She is no longer needed and had far too big of a mouth on her to be any use to me.”
I push the gun harder into his temple, threatening to kill him. “Where is her baby? She was pregnant. Where is that child?” I ask, not wanting to beg to him, but feeling the urge inside to do so. I needed to know.
“In hospital. Nobody knew of her pregnancy when they shot her. She went into early labour and delivered a little girl. She died shortly after. The baby is doing okay, but is very small due to being early.” I sigh inwardly, thanking God.
“What hospital? Tell me now you motherfucker.” Antonio rounds the desk also, grabbing a hold of the man’s shirt, pulling him to his feet. “You tell me now or so help me God, I will rip your fucking head off.”
“Ahhh, so you must be the father I presume. Come to think of it, the little girl does look like you. Same dark skin, eyes and hair. Yes, she certainly could be your daughter.” The man is playing us, delaying everything. There is more at stake now, there is a child, possibly my own daughter. I need to get to her, but I also have the responsibility of ending this battle.
“In good time, Sir. Now please, let’s talk about what I want in return for the information you require.”
I nod to the men to back away a little, all of them now leaning against a surface of some sort. Either the wall, a desk or sitting in a chair. I sit opposite him on the other computer chair, aiming my gun at him. “Talk,” I say, nodding to him.
“Okay. I want you Leighton, you and your team, including your brother. Yes, I know about Brandon’s involvement in this pathway. I want to join forces with every one of you. Now, if we can come to some agreement, then I will assist you in ending this new war of yours, which isn’t so new and you will be stronger than you ever have been. Alternatively, you can walk away now, without my help, and sacrifice your family because you refused my help. It’s up to you, Leighton,” the man sitting in his chair, so calmly and normal, tells me.
It is a hard decision, everything about this building and the men that used to be here, makes me sick and angry, but the man is right, he has no ties with the Blackmans or their associates, this is a new company, with new people. He has eradicated the family that once ran this operation and wants nothing to do with the past. It is an enticing decision to say the least, having his help to stop whoever is harming my family and in future jobs, is a good thing.
With Brandon’s team, I already have over fifteen men on my books, all trained, intelligent and fantastic. Maybe, bringing another team on board wouldn’t be so bad, would it?
“What is your name?” I ask curiously, not even knowing the man.
“My name is Lucas Carter,” he answers me, and another involuntary gasp leaves my mouth.
“Sorry, did you just say Carter?” I ask, not believing what I’m hearing.
“You for real?” Antonio asks, recognising the name as well.
“Yes, I’m sure you recognise the name, Leighton.” Recognise it? Fuck, it had been my very life at one point.
“But how? Josie doesn’t have any family. Her father is dead and she was an only child.” I can feel the heartbreak I had once felt, burning me.
“Hmm yes. My father didn’t approve of my ways. As you can tell, I am a lot older than my dear sister and had been shipped off before she was old enough to even known of me. Sure, I have seen her as a child but she wouldn’t recognise me now.” He shakes his head, a menacing grin on his face. I had known of his father, I had met Josie because of him.
“Josie isn’t here anymore, Lucas,” I inform him, not knowing if he realises she is in fact dead. His words all seem so present tense, as though he has no information on his baby sister.
“What?” he questions me, a little sadness and horror in his face.
“She was killed seven years ago,” I tell him, rubbing my brow with my fingers. Tears well in my eyes but I fight with everything I have to get rid of them.
“What do you mean, killed?” He stands, his chair pushed back against the wall.
“She was run over and died in hospital,” I continue.
“Who killed her?” We had both forgotten the murderous feeling towards each other, now having something in common.
“My father. He was trying to punish me and took it out on her and our son.” A stray tear trails my cheek and splashes on Lucas’ desk.
“Your father? And where is he now? I remember him quite clearly Leighton, he was always a fucking arsehole,” Lucas inquires, his hands fisted tight.
“Dead also. I saw to it. There wasn’t any chance he got to live after what he had done.”
“And your son, my nephew, what happened to him? Please don't tell me he is dead also?” Lucas has a heart, I can tell that the loss of his sister and potential loss of his nephew is getting to him, making him sad and angry.
“He is alive and very well. He has grown into a beautiful child and looks just like Josie.”
“Thank God, something good has come of this. I try to be a strong man, Leighton, to hold my head high and be tough, but hearing that my only sister is dead, it cuts me deep.” He is seated again, his face sombre and pale.
“I'm sorry for you to only just be finding out. I would have informed you sooner if I had known of you,” I say, placing my gun back in my holster. He is no longer a threat, but is now my family. He is the uncle to my son and a potential increase to my family.
“It would be a pleasure to work with you, Lucas. If you will accept my partnership, I would be honoured to have you on my team.” I put my hand out, offering it to Lucas.
He looks to it, smiling, before shaking it.
“The honour is mine, Leighton. I do really admire your tenacity and strength. Now, about this shooting toni
ght, do you want my help?” Lucas asks me and it is like asking someone if they want to win the lottery. Of course, I want his help, I want this to end and give us all a chance at life.
“It is your father.” My heart drops and my stomach expels its contents.
Chapter Thirty-Six Abigail
My heart is finding it hard to heal. For hours I have laid next to my son in bed, listening to my best friend crying next door. Hearing Maria and Luke so sad is killing me slowly, hearing them talk to their babies about how their father isn’t returning, about how they are now without Bradley, makes my own tears fall.
“What’s wrong mum, why is everyone so sad?” Joseph asks me, being kept up by everyone’s sadness.
“Uncle Bradley, he isn’t coming home, baby,” I explain. My son isn’t a baby anymore, he deserves to know the truth.
“Is he dead mum?” he asks straight out, wiping my tears away. I nod my reply, hiccupping with my tears. “Don't be sad mummy, he is in heaven now with my other mummy. They will both look after us. I found another mummy, Isabella and JT will find another daddy,” he explains, so confident of his happiness and the easiness of life.
“They already have another one, Joseph. But thank you, you always make everything better for me, you know that?” I ask him, kissing his forehead as he pulls me close to him and wraps his arms around me.
“That’s okay mum, you make everything better for me too. I love you.”
“And I you, baby. So much.” I close my eyes and allow my exhaustion to take over me.
“Sleep well, mummy, I’ll look after you,” I hear Joe whisper as I drift off.
******
I awake, the smell of smoke choking me. I dart up in bed, trying to seek my son.
“JOE!” I scream, jumping from the bed and running through Antonio’s house. “JOSEPH!” I continue, running towards the thick cloud of smoke. The alarm is ringing high-pitched, deafening me.
“MUMMY!” I hear him calling in the smoke, his coughs and choking sounds, making my stomach twist.