Out of control

by John Dysart

“Ok. See you,” still pecking away at her keyboard.

  Perfect, I thought. Avoids any awkward explanations. Liam was in the living room reading. I told him I was off. Ana must have been upstairs.

  “No nonsense while I’m away,” I told him. I’d noticed that he and Ana seemed to be getting on ‘rather well’ so I thought it was time to warn him about the rules.

  “What do you mean?” he replied, a slight flush showing on his face.

  “You know bloody well what I mean. No bonking in the house while I’m away. The only person that’s allowed to do that in my house is me. Right?”

  “But….”

  “No ‘buts’. You can go off into the heather somewhere if you want like I had to do when I was younger.”

  And I left, casting a glance at the mantelpiece which now held only one photograph of Sophie. The collection that had been there before had been removed. I smiled to myself. Memories of the past were all starting to fade now that I had Sophie. Reminding myself how lucky I was I popped back into the room where she was working, gave her a quick kiss on the back of her neck and went off to get the car.

  As I was driving through I thought about what had happened. I didn’t understand much about the patent business. Tough for Helen, who seemed to me to be a very nice and competent lady. As for the share dealings and all the ramifications that might come out of that, I knew nothing about that kind of stuff.

  The ring of traffickers, however, made my blood boil. During my army days I’d seen what goes on in other parts of the world – in the Middle East, in Africa, in the Far East – but I thought that, here in Europe, we had got past that. Bastards, I thought. And Bob had my full support if there was anything we could do to nail them.

  Ana was a super kid now that we had got to know her better. She was bright, intelligent and fun. The thought that she could easily have fallen victim to their machinations had got my fingers and my brain itchy to do something about it.

  Bob had told me that they had detained this guy Dugain and his two Romanian brothers at the airport. That was great news. I’d only seen him via a video screen at the meeting but I knew I didn’t like him one little bit. My God what a performance Bob had put on. I had known what the vague objective had been but he handled it brilliantly. Oscar stuff. And the looks on the faces of the others was a hoot. They couldn’t believe what they were seeing. But I have to admit I was a bit worried when I saw that bloody chair flying through the air.

  I’d got to know Inspector Ross a bit while he was sitting with us in that wee cabin and I liked what I saw. I was sure he would do what he could to make something stick.

  This Macek was another matter. A probable killer on the loose. And maybe Bob as the target?

  That made me think about my elder brother. Being seven years older than me I’d always kind of looked up to him when we were kids and he’d looked after me. During our adult life we’d kept in touch but not seen so much of each other because I had spent so much time abroad, but over the last couple of years or so we’d become close again. Maybe it was now my turn to start looking after him.

  He is, after all, slowing up a bit. The brain’s still acute but I can see that physically he’s getting a bit past it. He’s lost about twenty five yards on his drive I thought to myself, grinning!

  Well, we’ll see how he is when I get there. He and Maggie must have had a horrific experience and apparently she had lost everything in the fire. Maybe that’ll get them permanently together which, as far as I was concerned, would be a damned good idea. Liz had been lovely and it had been a tragedy when she had died but these things happen. Maggie is different but just as nice in her own way and seems to be exactly what he needs. Bob deserves companionship.

  I’d see what the situation was when I got to Lochbervie so I put these thoughts on one side and concentrated on enjoying a nice fast drive up through the hills.

  *

  It didn’t take long to find them. Bob’s blue Mercedes was parked outside a neat-looking house on the main street.

  Bob told me that Maggie was still in bed, knocked out by a barrow load of sleeping pills.

  I nodded. “She must have had a hell of a shock.”

  “We were damned lucky to get out alive,” said Bob, shaking his head ruefully. “Come on, I’ll take you up and show you.”

  God, what a mess it was. What I saw was familiar. I had seen it before. The results of warfare in different parts of the globe. Ashes, broken glass, blackened stumps of wood, gaping holes which had once been doors or windows. It was much as I had expected. For Bob and Maggie, however, it must seem very different.

  We stood there gazing at it, each lost in our own thoughts.

  I put my round Bob’s shoulders.

  “I hope Ross can make this stick and these bastards get locked up and they throw away the key.”

  “So do I, Mike, so do I,” he replied.

  He turned and we started to walk slowly back to the house.

  “Mike,” he said, not looking at me but down at the ground in front of him, as if nervous, “Macek is still on the loose and I’m worried.” His voice was slow and deliberate. He was speaking softly. He seemed to be picking his words carefully.

  “I was wondering if you would be up to doing something. It’s a lot to ask but it could be an opportunity to grab him. I’m frankly a bit shattered by all this and I honestly don’t feel up to doing it myself. Maggie wouldn’t let me for a start and also I don’t want to leave her alone at the moment. I’ve discussed it with Ross and he agrees that it’s a chance but there may be a bit of risk involved. That’s why Maggie wouldn’t agree to me doing it.”

  Patience is not my strong suit but I managed to keep my mouth shut and let him continue.

  “Ross has agreed to supply back-up. It would need to be kept secret from Sophie because she won’t like it either and she’d probably tell Maggie. And I wouldn’t blame her.”

  We walked on another few paces in silence. What in the hell was he on about? I looked across at the worried face beside me of my elder brother whom I loved dearly. He was clearly having trouble getting this out.

  He started again.

  “I’m not sure if it will work but it might and if it does we can nail Macek.”

  I stopped, exasperated.

  “Bob, what are you twittering about? Get it out. If you want me to do something, of course I will if I can. Tell me what you’ve got in mind.”

  He turned and looked me in the eye.

  “Ok,” he said, stopping by a low wall and leaning on it, staring off into the mountains. ”Let’s talk it out here but if you don’t want to do it I’ll perfectly understand. It’s a lot to ask and I won’t think the worse of you if you say ‘No’.”

  “Christ, Bob, get it off your chest.” I leant there beside him and waited.

  “Right. Here’s my thinking and here’s a plan.”

  He took a deep breath and started.

  “I reckon that Macek must have followed me up here. He knows my car. He must have tracked me to Letham – car number plate or whatever – and that’s how he managed to organize the accident at Lindores. OK?”

  “OK, so far.”

  “He must have found out where I was staying – maybe he followed me up here because he knows my car - and reported back to Dugain. Dugain then got his brothers over because, presumably, they didn’t want to use outside people. They came up here, fired the place, obviously planning to get rid of me, and scarpered. Because I survived and was able to phone Ross we got lucky and were able to grab the three of them at Edinburgh Airport - but no Macek.

  “Now why would Macek have stayed behind? Why didn’t he get the hell out as well? The only reason I can think of is that they wanted to be sure that they’d got rid of me. Now Macek is not going to risk coming up here again to find out. That would be too dangerous. So the only thing he can do is watch Letham. If I’ve survived I’m bound to go back there sometime – and sometime soon. D
oes that make sense?”

  “So you think he’ll watch Letham for a couple of days and if you don’t turn up he’ll assume the problem is solved and if you do he’ll try again?”

  “Exactly. Now I want him to try again so we can nick him – before he succeeds – naturally.”

  He took a deep breath and looked at me. His hand went onto my shoulder. I thought I saw what was coming and started to smile. If I was right this was going to be just up my street.

  “How do you fancy being the bait with guaranteed back-up from the police supplied by Ross?”

  I had guessed right. I grinned.

  “Bob, I would be delighted.” The thought of not doing this didn’t even enter my head. “Tell me more.”

  “The idea is that you go down to Letham in my car. Maggie and I will go to Heather’s where we’ll be quite safe. We’ll take your car. Just in case he sees you arrive you wear a hat or something so that he doesn’t recognise that it isn’t me. He’ll see the car. He’ll see the house is occupied. He doesn’t know you exist. He’ll naturally assume it’s me.

  “Ross will supply two heavies to guard you. We can sneak one into the house and the other can stay next door with Mrs. Clarke constantly in contact. If he turns up we’ve got him for attempted arson or murder or whatever and if he doesn’t there’s no harm done. I’d do it myself but I can’t leave Maggie at the moment. What do you think?”

  “I was beginning to think that I hadn’t done very much in this whole caper. I could do with a bit of fun.” I was almost rubbing my hands at the thought of it. My mind was already thinking ahead to various aspects of the plan.

  “Have you got fire extinguishers in the house?”

  “One upstairs and one in the cupboard under the stairs.”

  “To be safe I’ll get Doug to get me a flak jacket in case he decides to use a gun. That’s not a problem. Is there enough food in the house so that I don’t need to go out?”

  “Enough for three or four days.”

  “Has anyone spoken to Mrs. Clarke?”

  “Not yet. I’ll do that as soon as I’ve spoken to the police in Cupar.”

  I was already planning it out, imagining various scenarios. Now it was my turn. He had done a brilliant job at the meeting. Now I was the one to get a bit of fun.

  I reassured him that I was up for it. With police back-up I didn’t really think there would be any danger. But he was right: I’d have to think of an excuse for Sophie. If she got wind of it all hell would break loose. And I didn’t fancy that. I’d rather face a potential killer than an irate French lady on the wrong side of a bad temper.

  By the time we got back to the house it was all agreed. Bob called Ross and got the number of an Inspector Mathieson in Cupar who was expecting our call. He had a couple of guys ready he told us – Davis and Logan. One had had special anti-terrorist training he said, and the other was a young lad who played second row for the Howe of Fife rugby team. Sounded alright to me. He asked me to phone him as soon as I got to Letham.

  Bob was starting to have doubts again. I told him not to worry. I’d keep in touch. All he had to do was look after Maggie and get the pair of them down to Heather’s in my car.

  I didn’t see Maggie because she was still asleep and I told Bob to give her my love when she woke up. He handed me the keys to the house and his neat little Mercedes. I was going to enjoy driving it.

  He wished me farewell, trying to be chirpy. “Good luck, keep in touch and don’t scratch the paintwork.” but I could see him in the rear view mirror watching me drive off with a worried look on his face.

  I arrived in Letham in the early evening and parked the car in the road outside the house, visible to anyone, and let myself in quickly, jacket hood over my head just in case.

  Once inside I drew the curtains and set about planning my defences. I called Mathieson and he told me that Davies and Logan were on their way. They would come in the back over the fields and I’d let them in the back door. Davis was going to stay with me and it had been arranged by phone that, after we’d done all our planning, Logan would nip over the back fence into Mrs. Clarke’s garden and she would let him in.

  Inspector Mathieson had told us that they would bring an extra set of protection gear for me so I hadn’t needed to worry about a bullet proof vest.

  Before long I heard a discreet knock on the back door. I checked from an upstairs window and, satisfied that it was my expected guests, I went down and let them in. Davis had a large black bag which he dumped on the kitchen table and proceeded to empty out the contents.

  I was impressed by them both straight away. Davis knew exactly what he was doing and Logan was a hefty lad. He only stayed long enough to pick up his end of the walkie-talkie and to learn the layout of the house and the front and back gardens. Then he was off next door.

  I pulled on the combat gear. I hoped it wasn’t going to be necessary but it didn’t bother me. I’d been in worse situations before and it was actually a nice feeling to be back in harness as it were.

  Davis and I felt like a team almost immediately. I showed him where the fire extinguishers were and we agreed that we’d have as many buckets of water as possible standing by as well. He was armed but explained that he couldn’t allow me to be. Against regulations.

  The most impressive piece of gear that he’d brought turned out to be a laptop which was connected to a couple of miniature wide-angled cameras which he rigged up to give us coverage of the whole of the small front garden and a good chunk of the back one.

  When all was to his satisfaction we sat down in the living room, leaving the door to the kitchen open so that we would hear anyone coming in that way. The screens were beside us and Davis kept an eye on them all the time. I moved around a little as one normally would, going upstairs occasionally to switch a light on and then off a bit later, hoping to give the impression of normal activity.

  For an hour or two we played pontoon and I managed to take fifteen quid off him. He’d put it down as expenses he told me.

  At about eleven Davis suggested I go to bed and get a bit of rest.

  “I’ll sit down here with the lights off as if there’s no one. I’ll wake you at three and you can relieve me for an hour. That’s all I’ll need. I can catch up a bit more sleep during the day.”

  “Got all you need?”

  “Sure, no problem.”

  I took one last look at the monitoring screens – nothing- and went up to bed.

  *

  It was going to be fire again, just like the attack on the hotel - but this time he had a gun as well.

  I was awoken by a yell from Davis.

  “Logan. Front door. Go!” as he barked into the transmitter.

  Then “Mike! Fire!” and he burst out through the front door into the street.

  I took the stairs four at a time, grabbed a bucket of water and threw it onto the flames which were coming from a pile of rags on the floor in the hall. Then I picked up the extinguisher and sprayed the area liberally. I had it out within seconds with no major damage done. As soon as I was sure I ran out of the door to see where they’d gone.

  Fifty yards up the road I could see the outline of a man pursued by Davis and with Logan only a couple of paces behind.

  “Stop, police,” I heard Davis shout.

  The man was either insane or he thought someone was trying to fool him. He stopped, turned and fired. I could see the brief flash of the shot and instinctively hit the ground. I didn’t see exactly what happened but there was another sharp report and when I got up warily I saw the body of the man lying on the ground and Davis and Logan approaching very slowly and carefully, guns in front of them.

  “Stay back, Mike” Davis called over his shoulder.

  Suddenly the body moved and another shot rang out. Logan fell to the ground with a cry, grasping his leg, but before he hit the ground Davis‘s gun spat out again.

  Then there was silence. I ran forward to Logan wh
o was gritting his teeth in pain. “I think I’m ok,” he hissed, “but you’d better get the medics.”

  I sprinted back to the house. The fire had been safely put out. Good. Grab the phone. Where the hell’s the number? I found it and alerted the station in Cupar and they promised an ambulance and a back-up car in ten minutes.

  That done, I ran back to help Logan into the house. Davis didn’t need any help.

  I heard him muttering “Stupid bastard” at the body lying in the road.

  By now a few lights had come on and one or two people were peering nervously out of their doors, Mrs. Clarke amongst them. She was horrified that her recent guest had been shot and immediately came in, pushed me out of the way and took charge.

  I was still in my combat gear so I looked official. I proceed to go up and down the road - Davis nodded his approval - telling everyone it was all over. More police were on their way and they could all go back to bed. “It’s Macek alright,” he told me. “I‘ve checked his wallet.”

  Davis must have been a bloody good shot. He’d got him in the head and blood was oozing onto the road from a hole in his temple.

  “Need a blanket or something?”

  He nodded. “If you’ve got one. Maybe it would be better.”

  I managed to find an old travelling rug in the cupboard under the stairs. By the time I went back out I found it wasn’t needed. The police car had arrived and the area was swiftly cordoned off. A minute later the ambulance arrived.

  I left the police to do their job and took the medics inside to Logan. Mrs. Clarke reluctantly gave up her place to them and they swiftly confirmed that he only had a flesh wound.

  “There’ll be no lasting damage,” he told me and, turning back to Logan, “But ye’ll be aff the pitch for a few weeks, you stupid bugger, an’ us wi’ a cup match against Kirkcaldy next week.”

  I think they knew each other.

  Logan was taken away in the ambulance. I cleared up the mess of the fire as best I could and I promised Davis I would come in and make a statement about the events the next afternoon.

  The police had called up a second ambulance to remove the body and left. Davis came in and we packed up his gear.