Shattered (Dividing Line #5)

by Heather Atkinson

  “Did you know a tracking device had been planted on my bike at the police station?” Ryan dropped it into the conversation with an almost casual air.

  The complete surprise on Taylor’s face convinced them he had no idea. “No. It must have been Kennard. What a wanker.”

  “Precisely,” replied Ryan. “Fortunately it didn’t pay off, although my wife was put in danger and I don’t take kindly to that.”

  Taylor resisted the urge to shuffle in his seat as Ryan’s grey eyes drilled into him. He allowed the silence to stretch out, a strategy Taylor himself had used many times in interrogations. It gave the person being interviewed the desperate urge to talk and fill the silence and he couldn’t take the pressure any longer. “I had nothing to do with that, I promise you.”

  “Hmmm,” was all Ryan was willing to reply. “I suppose a really good collar would get you back in your superior’s good books after the thrashing you got for the warehouse burning down.”

  “Yes it would. I take it this is part of your plan to bring down Alex?”

  “I anticipate that soon you will make an arrest that will restore your reputation. I need to know that you will be available to move when I give you the signal.”

  “I will be. When and where?”

  “I’ll let you know.”

  “You don’t know yet?”

  “It’s in hand but you will have to move fast, timing is of the essence.”

  “I’ve told you, I’ll be ready. I just wish you could give me more information.”

  “Patience DCI Taylor.”

  “I think I’ve given you enough of that. Alex is still breathing.”

  “Not for much longer,” said Rachel. She smiled at her husband. “Can you believe it? I must be psychic.”

  They got to their feet, pleased with the way the meeting had gone. Taylor was on standby and they’d said nothing incriminating. They left him sat there, confused but excited. He sensed the end of this nightmare was near.

  CHAPTER 34

  Next Ryan and Rachel had to meet with Dane Black, who understandably was reluctant to come to them at the compound. Too many people had walked into that place and never walked out again. Instead they met on neutral territory in a bar owned by a mutual friend.

  It was the first time Rachel had met Dane, although she had heard so much about him and she had to own that she was impressed. He was very big, a tall broad mass of muscle and from the rumours about the Great Dane she understood him to be big everywhere. He was very handsome and although he seemed friendly enough she detected a seriousness about him that told her this was not a man to be trifled with and one you most definitely wanted on your side. He didn’t look anything like a biker in his smart suit, collar left open at the neck to add a touch of casualness.

  “Mrs Law, it’s a pleasure to meet you at last,” said Dane. “I’ve heard so much about you.”

  “Please call me Rachel and I’ve heard a lot about you too, particularly your nightclub.”

  He grinned, highlighting the dimple in his chin. “Ryan’s been giving you all the gory details has he?”

  “He has and I’d love to see it one day.”

  “You would?” said Ryan, cocking an eyebrow.

  “Oh yes.”

  “That can be arranged but the only stipulation is that you have to dress up,” said Dane.

  “That wouldn’t be a problem.”

  “You wouldn’t recognise Dane,” said Ryan. “He’s the one who goes around in the gimp mask with half naked women on leashes.”

  Rachel was unfazed. “So there’s more than one reason why they call you the Great Dane?”

  “Yes but that’s not the one I’m most proud of.”

  Rachel smiled, thinking Ryan could be a serious contender for that title.

  “So it’s all leather and PVC is it?” she said.

  “Yes.” Dane looked to Ryan. “Perhaps I should lend you my leash?”

  When Rachel looked at Ryan and her eyes turned jet black, he couldn’t help but smile.

  Ryan forced his mind back onto the present moment, too distracted by thoughts of Rachel half naked on the end of a leash. “How many men have come up from Leeds?” he asked Dane.

  “As far as we can tell, eight. They’re a relatively new chapter set up to help Jasper run his meth through the north. They’re my most serious threat.”

  Whereas the Maguires and Laws controlled the cocaine and heroin, Dane dealt in amphetamines and Lucifer’s Shadow was starting to encroach on the business.

  “Mikey’s had word they’re holed up at a bar owned by Alex,” said Rachel. “He hired them for protection and now he’s having to protect them.”

  “They’re a bunch of fucking amateurs,” said Dane. “My men are all serious businessmen, picked for their brains and ability to keep their mouths shut. Jasper picked thugs, white supremacists and general lunatics, violent scum without a single thought in their heads. He thinks fear and outright intimidation is the way to go when in fact staying under the radar is what keeps us safe. The police didn’t even realise my crew was dealing, it’s only thanks to Jasper’s antics that they’ve started looking closer at me. For years we’ve managed to convince the world we’re just a group of men who like bikes and organise rides for charity. Now they’re starting to think we’re one-percenters.”

  “Sorry, one-percenters?” said Rachel.

  “Ninety nine percent of bike clubs are legitimate and law-abiding,” explained Dane. “Only one-percent are involved in criminal activity, hence the name.”

  “I see.” She was impressed with the way he spoke, he was obviously educated and intelligent, which was why Ryan had taken to him.

  “We can’t hit them at the bar,” said Ryan, “it’s too public. But I do have a way for you to get rid of your rivals once and for all. I want Riley to help you.”

  “After the way he fucked up at the clubhouse? You were nearly killed.”

  “What?” exclaimed Rachel.

  “Thank you Dane,” he sighed, who held up his hands and shrugged his shoulders.

  “You never mentioned this to me. What happened?” she said.

  “Riley went after Jasper White. I stopped him getting shot and someone attacked me but it was fine. Dane shot him before he had the chance.”

  “Thank you Dane,” Rachel told him, who nodded. She wanted to demand a further explanation but now wasn’t the time, she’d only look the silly nagging woman in front of Dane and it was important she was taken seriously.

  “You can understand why he got a little carried away after what happened to Zoe?” said Ryan.

  “Course I can but I don’t want him getting carried away again when he’s supposed to be watching my back,” replied Dane.

  “He won’t, I promise. Just please let him have Jasper.”

  “He’s welcome to the wanker, he’s been a pimple on the anus of humanity for years. Let me know where and when. I’ll be ready.”

  Rachel and Ryan both smiled. It was what they wanted to hear.

  They returned to the compound feeling more secure now they knew everyone was on standby. There was just one more thing to prepare and Battler and Bruiser had come up trumps.

  Rachel and Ryan descended into the basement of the compound to find Andy Sugar - the second eldest brother after Col - gagged and tied to a chair, face bruised and swollen.

  “He got arsy so we had to teach him a lesson,” said Battler.

  “Fair enough,” replied Ryan. He pulled a chair up before the tethered man and turned it round, so he could lean forwards on the back rest. “You’re going to help us draw Alex out from under his rock.”

  The man made some muffled oaths that were smothered by the gag and he wrenched himself back and forth, to no avail.

  “I wouldn’t waste my time if I was you,” said Ryan. “Battler and Bruiser’s knots are impossible to get out of. Do you know your brother Gavin died down here?”

  His eyes filled with anguish and he threw himself around so hard th
at his chair tipped up and he landed hard on his right side.

  Ryan cocked his head to look at him. “Your family weren’t blessed with brain cells, were you? All we want you to do is make one little phone call, then we’ll put you out of your misery quickly and cleanly, nothing like the agonies Gavin suffered.”

  Andy roared into the gag, tears filling his eyes.

  “Will you do it?” Ryan asked him.

  Frantically he shook his head.

  “You disappoint me.” Ryan got to his feet and looked to Battler, who yielded a scalpel that looked tiny in his enormous hand. “Do it, but don’t hurt his mouth. He’ll need to be able to talk when he eventually caves.”

  “Aren’t you going to do it?” Frankie asked Rachel.

  “No,” she replied.

  “But you’re so good at it. You were a nurse, you know where it hurts most.”

  “Battler is much more adept than I am.”

  “Do it or me and my boys will go straight to Liverpool. I’m sure they’ll welcome us with open arms.”

  “I’ll do it,” said Ryan, knowing full well this was the last thing Rachel wanted to do. She was a different woman to Rachel Maguire, who found torture easy.

  “No, it has to be her,” said Frankie, his really nasty side coming to the surface. “She has to prove to us all that she’s still got the fucking bottle for what’s ahead otherwise she’s a liability and I hate liabilities.”

  The threat was clear.

  “I can do it,” she said confidently, taking the scalpel from Battler’s hand.

  “You don’t have to,” said Ryan.

  “Yes she fucking does,” roared Frankie, eyes bulging, spittle flying from his lips. “If she can’t torture this dick then she’s no further use.”

  “Do not threaten her,” said Ryan.

  “Or what?” said Frankie, squaring up to him. “I’ve been pretty fucking patient through all this shit, through your fuck-ups and failures. Despite all that I still want to do business with you but if you disappoint me once more I’ll annihilate the fucking lot of you. You are all alive and well at my good grace. My crew could easily wipe out yours and take everything over no problem and you fucking know it. I’ve only allowed you to keep your power because I hate coming to England but one more, just one more disappointment and I take your little empire and throw it to Liverpool.”

  His tirade was interrupted by a moan of pain and they all turned to see Rachel kneeling on the floor beside Andy, cutting into the knuckle of his left ring finger.

  She looked back at them all, face devoid of expression. “Get your Tupperware box on standby Frankie.”

  His face cracked into a maniacal grin. “Fucking beautiful Sweetheart. I’ve got a big tub so you’re going to have to work hard.”

  “Don’t worry, I’ll fill it,” she smiled before returning to her work, hacking at the finger.

  Riley watched in astonishment. He’d seen women commit atrocities in his time in the army but this slow torture took the biscuit. He looked to Ryan, who was stood at the back of the room, arms wrapped tightly around himself as though he was trying to contain an explosion. He’d done everything he could to keep his wife from this but he’d failed and it was killing him.

  Ryan found Rachel slumped in the chair in Mikey’s office, knocking back a whisky. As she lowered the glass she wiped her mouth on the back of her hand, which was shaking. She stared at her fingers thoughtfully as she recalled what she’d done to Andy. She’d taken six of his before he’d finally given in to their demands.

  “So, did I impress Frankie?” she asked angrily, slamming down the glass.

  “He’s delighted and he’s telling anyone who’ll listen what a great business partner you’ll be.”

  She refilled her glass and knocked it back. “I hate him.”

  “Me too.” He perched on the edge of the desk and took the glass from her hands. “Don’t get pissed, we may need to move soon.”

  “I can handle my drink,” she snapped.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Oh I’m just fucking dandy. I cut off some poor bastard’s fingers to keep a psychopath happy.” She sighed and raked her fingers through her hair. “I’m evil.”

  “No you’re not, you do what you have to in order to survive. Frankie’s threats down there were very real. He could kill Mikey and Jez as well as us and replace us with his own puppets. Glasgow is strong and right now we’re in a weak position. When Alex is gone the balance of power will shift but right now, unfortunately, we need him. You were doing what you always do, protecting those you love.”

  “Another horrible memory to add to the collection. What sort of mother am I going to make when I can do sick shit like that?”

  “Don’t start talking like that. You’re a wonderful mum and our kids love you. What you did to Andy was just something else that needed to be done so we can go home to them. You were fighting for us, for our family and that’s what makes you a great mum and a wonderful wife.”

  “People say I’m unnatural. They’re right, aren’t they?”

  “No.”

  “Other women couldn’t do the horrible things I’ve done.”

  “Only because they’ve not got your courage.”

  “You call torturing a helpless man courageous?”

  “Yes because you didn’t do it for yourself, you did it for the rest of us. Did you get a kick out of it?”

  “No. It turned my stomach.”

  “There you go then. Stand up.”

  “Why?”

  “Please Rachel.”

  She stood and he sat in the empty chair then pulled her onto his knee, making her smile.

  “That’s better,” he smiled, kissing her hair. “This is all going to be over very soon, just keep that in mind. Then it will all seem like a distant dream.”

  She rested her head on his shoulder and nodded. “I hope so.”

  “I need to call Taylor and Dane to make sure they’re ready,” he said, tugging his phone out of his pocket. “No, don’t move.”

  Rachel smiled and nestled back into him, curling up on his lap like a cat.

  After making his calls he hung up, expression sombre. “We’re on. Time for Andy to make his call. Frankie was making sick jokes about him not being able to dial. Are you ready for this?”

  “More than ready. I’ve no sympathy left for Alex Maguire.”

  Alex gripped Col’s shoulders, fingers digging painfully into the joints. They were holed up in the office of The Wherry Tavern. Alex felt most comfortable here because it was a private room in a public area and there were no windows. He was paranoid about sniper bullets.

  “Ow,” said Col.

  “I’ve just had Andy on the phone. He’s found Ryan and Rachel.”

  “Where?”

  “At one of their hotels. A contact of his came through.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Course I’m fucking sure.”

  “I’ll call him back.”

  “There’s no time for that now. We need to mobilise the troops.”

  “But…”

  “Don’t fucking create problems. This is the opportunity we’ve been waiting for. Now move it.”

  Alex got on the phone and started issuing orders so Col pulled Jason to one side.

  “Get out of here,” Col told his brother.

  “What? But I want…”

  “I said get out of here,” he told him quietly. “Take Harry with you. We’ve already lost Gavin and I’m not losing another brother. I’ll tell Alex I sent you both to guard Katia.”

  “But Robbie Jordan’s doing that.”

  “I don’t give a fuck about him. Send him back here, let him get shot by the Laws instead.”

  “Okay. You don’t think we’re going to win this, do you?”

  “It could go either way but if we don’t win I’m not having my whole family wiped out because the Laws will show no mercy. You’ve got a little boy to think of. Go out the back way, don’t let Alex see
you.”

  Jason had the urge to hug his big brother but thought that would be very unmanly so he patted him on the shoulder instead.

  Col watched his brother take Harry and leave, relieved Alex didn’t witness their departure.

  CHAPTER 35

  “We’re all fucking set,” Alex told Col, who was in the driving seat, steering them through the busy city centre. “As soon as we know where Rachel and Ryan are going the others are ready to move to take them down.”

  Col felt sick and he half-hoped Andy’s tip-off came to nothing. Their last confrontation with the Laws had happened so fast there’d been no time to get scared but now, knowing they were going to face a better organised enemy - whose leader wasn’t a deranged lunatic but was in fact a bona-fide genius - was intimidating to say the least. He glanced sideways at Alex whose eyes bulged with excitement, inane chatter and spittle spilling from his lips, and suddenly he felt doomed.

  They pulled into a space across the street from the hotel, switched off the engine and stayed low in their seats. The road was very busy so another car parked there would go unnoticed.

  “Hiding in plain sight, sneaky bastards,” said Alex.

  “Where’s Andy?” said Col, craning his neck to look at the other cars.

  “Stay down will you before someone sees you,” chided Alex. “He wasn’t actually here when he called, he just rang to let me know what his contact said. He’s on his way here but he’s on the other side of the city and it might take him a while.” A disturbing look came into his eyes that made Col very uneasy. “There.”

  Col saw two figures hurrying out of the front door of the hotel pulling on bike helmets. The swish of long dark hair and an incredible backside clad in tight black leather told him it was Rachel Law. He didn’t confirm the second figure as being Ryan until he’d climbed on the powerful Ducati, turned to Rachel and lifted the visor to talk to her.

  “We’re on Col,” said Alex, already drawing his gun.

  “You’re not going to shoot them here?” said Col as he started the engine.