by Robert White
“Al-Mufti will take the bait, I’m sure of it,” said Des. “The scam isn’t that hard to believe, eh? He knows your history, knows who you’ve worked for. Besides, how many mercenaries do you know that would leave five million quid’s worth of beak behind on some boat?”
Rick nodded. “Exactly. Now, the presumption is, that both the main players are in the country, or damned close. So, we must suppose that one or both parties will already have boots on the ground looking for their missing product. As you said, Al-Mufti knows of our Manchester connection, therefore, from today, this office is closed, and we go dark. The only time we go out to play, is to turn the screw on the locals. We’ll be visible to all the right faces and the word will spread like clap in a whorehouse. Kostas Makris will provide all the papers should we need to skip the country for a while once the job is over. I’ve located us a place to work from, and we will all reside there from today. Our first target is a guy called Arti Jonas. We close him down, take what product he has off the street and begin to make our presence felt.”
“And where in God’s name, are we going to keep a hundred kilos of cocaine?” I asked.
“We’re not,” said Rick. “The drugs are already destroyed, along with the AK’s.”
“So we’re the only drug dealers in Manchester, with no drugs to sell?” I said, unable to hide the incredulity from my voice.
“We actually don’t need any, hen” said Des, standing and finding his lighter. “The trick is, to make the boys believe we have their gear and, at the same time, create a drought so folks are desperate to buy.”
Des stood up and stretched. “Anyway, I think the plan is a winner, so if we’re done here, I’ll just nip and tell Estelle she’s going on a long holiday.”
Des Cogan’s Story:
Whichever way you looked at it, this job was not for the faint hearted; if we cocked it up, it could end very nastily indeed. I knew that, so did the rest of the team. Cartwright would wash his hands of the whole affair and we would be left swinging in the breeze. Still, with a day rate that would outstrip most merchant bankers, I figured it was a risk worth taking, particularly if it concluded with Abdallah Al-Mufti dead in the ground.
I’d sat with Estelle and explained that we were closing down the business for a few weeks. I’d made the excuse that Rick and Lauren needed time together and that I had some family issues in Scotland. She asked about Sean, of course, and I’d made platitudes in that direction, without going into details. Then, I sat at her computer and began to book her and her mother three weeks, all-inclusive to Majorca, leaving just before midnight. She looked worried and rested her hand on mine.
“But I still need to keep an eye on Sean, Des. I’m so worried about him. And what about you, Rick and Lauren?
I assured her we would all be fine. More importantly, she and her mother would be safe.
We were going to go in hard, in an area of the city notorious for violence and drugs. Rick had rented a three bed terrace on Longden Road, Longsight. It was a grubby little gaff that had been previously occupied by a number of student types. I’d stayed in worse myself but had a sneaky suspicion that young Victoria was not going to be a happy bunny when she saw the place.
It was, however, tactically ideal, being close to the heart of the city and smack bang in Arti Jonas’ drug territory. Once we gave that boy the good news, we would all have our hands full for the next few days, and that was before Yunfakh got a sniff. Me, as strange as it seemed, I couldnea wait. I knew I’d said it before, but one last bit of fun, a nice big payday, then some peace and quiet on the Loch.
With Estelle and her mum out of harm’s way, I now wanted to ensure the safety and wellbeing of two more people, Grace and Kaya Yakim. They were probably the two most vulnerable people in my life.
Arriving at their home address I was instantly concerned that the police protection that had been promised was not in evidence. So much for our pet Chief Inspector, Larry Simpson.
Grace opened the door and gave me a tired smile.
“Oh, thank the Lord,” she said, holding out her arms to hug me. As we embraced, she spoke into my ear, her voice cracking with emotion. “No one could tell me anything, I had no way of knowing if you were alive or dead.”
Of course, there had been no time to tell Grace about the Ireland job, and some things are best left unsaid. “I’m fine, hen,” I whispered. “How’s the wee boy?”
Grace stepped back, yet held onto both my hands. She was tearful but managed to keep her composure. “Sleeping… He’s… he’s doing okay...so they say. I don’t know how to thank you, Des. I can’t believe what you did for us”
“It was a pleasure,” I said.
She nodded and then suddenly appeared to realise that we were standing in the doorway.
“Oh, look at me now, how rude. Come on in, I’ll put the kettle on.”
I stepped down the hallway into the parlour. The place looked like a bomb had hit it. The usually pristine room was awash with piles of clothes. Dirty cups and plates littered the floor and coffee table and an empty bottle of Gordons was balanced precariously on the mantle. Our Grace had obviously been having a hard time of it.
She turned and gave me a guilty glance.
“Sorry about the mess, I’ve… well I’ve.”
I put my arm around her, and she instantly buried her head in my chest and began to sob.
“Oh Des,” she said. “Kaya can hardly talk, and when he does, he says some terrible things.”
“Hey, hey… come on now, hen. He’s had a bad time, eh? He’s lucky to be alive, after what those eejits did to him.”
She looked up into my face, wiped her eyes and swallowed hard.
“The cops, they said they didn’t know what happened to those men, the ones who took Kaya. But this morning, that detective, Larry Simpson, well, he came over and pulled the guard from the house. He said the case was closed. I don’t understand, Des.”
“Did he now?” I said feeling for my pipe and heading for the back kitchen door. “Well, I can tell ye this, hen. You’ll have no more bother from them boys, that’s fe sure.”
”So it was you,” she said. “Wasn’t it? You found Kaya, you saved him from those men?”
I stroked her face.
“It was a team effort, hen. And you’ll have no more trouble, but Mum’s the word, eh? That detective isn’t to be trusted, ye mustn’t tell him a thing.”
Grace nodded and bit her lip.
“Of course. I mean, I couldn’t bear to lose you too, Des.”
I stood on the patio, indulged in my bad habit and made a mental note to speak to our Lauren about Mr Simpson.
Minutes later, Grace stepped out with two cups of tea. We sipped in silence for a while, then I broke it.
“You know the cottage I’ve put in your name?” I asked.
Grace smiled and shook her head in disbelief. “Yes, how can I forget, Des?”
I took on a serious tone. “Well, I want you and Kaya to go and stay there for a while. Just a week or two, maybe longer.”
Grace was no fool. After all, she’d been married to JJ Yakim. She knew when things were getting hairy.
“What’s going on, Des? Is it to do with my family? I mean, they’ve never been in touch since that night, not even to ask if Kaya was alive.”
“No, hen. It’s not about them, and the two men that took Kaya are dead. Like I said, that part of your life is behind you. They’ll send no more.”
She held her hand to her mouth, her eyes wide.
“They gave me no choice, hen,” I lied. “So, in a way, Chief Inspector Simpson is right, that particular problem is dealt with. But this, well, this is another matter. It involves some very dangerous people that will stop at nothing to get to me, and Rick. That means anyone that I’m close to, would be a target for them.”
She looked into my eyes for
the longest time.
“And are we, Des? Are we close?”
I swallowed some nerves at that one.
“I think so. I hope so,” I said. “But I need… we need, to be focused on the job at hand, not worrying about the safety of... of people we care about.”
She nodded and there was a hint of a smile, but I could tell she wasn’t convinced.
“Des… Kaya is already a very scared and disturbed little boy. He’s lost his father and been through hell at the hands of those animals. He needs care. He needs to see people, a speech therapist. We’re waiting for an appointment. I don’t know if more change, more upheaval…”
“Grace, please, listen to me. I will make sure everything is taken care of. The place up north is beautiful this time of year. You will be safe and secure and won’t want for anything. I’ll make sure Kaya has the very best care available. I promise, just trust me on this one. Soon, this will all be over. After that…”
“After that, what?”
“Well, I have a house, about twenty minutes away from the cottage. I’ll be living there as soon as this is over. If you decide to stay up there, start again, I can keep an eye on you both for as long as you need me.”
She looked into my eyes again, and I thought I saw something in there, something more than friendship.
“That could be a very long time, Des.”
Lauren North’s Story:
“And just how do you feel about this little plan?” I asked Victoria, as I pushed more clothes into a holdall.
She shrugged her chiselled shoulders and continued to inspect my flat. “I’ve heard worse strategies. Some of the stories my ex came out with would make your hair curl.”
I stopped my packing. “You mean the one who was killed… Simon?”
She let out a pained sigh.
“The one and only. Didn’t the guys tell you; Si had worked with them in 22 before he went into the private security business?”
“No, they didn’t. Is that why you came to us for a job?”
She nodded.
“Partly. And partly because I figured you might be involved in this line of work. You see, Simon and I had met people along the way, the black ops guys, always in the shadows. He constantly wanted some of what they were getting, and to be honest… so did I.”
“The money, you mean. I suppose it is hard to turn down.”
“That, and the excitement. Not having to obey any rules, not having a commander barking orders at you. The rush was just too great for him to leave alone. For some, it’s booze or coke, for him it was the danger. And now, here I am.”
I pursed my lips. “I think we all know that feeling, but you do realise that this is our last job? Rick says, after this one is over, we go straight, stand in the light and run our business as we’d always planned, back in the day when he first hatched the idea in a hotel in Abu Dhabi.”
Sellers made a face.
“If you say so, Darling.”
I cocked my head. My tone was sharper than I’d meant it to be.
“Do you know something I don’t?”
“Whoa, paranoia girl. No, not at all. I’m the new face, remember?”
She sat on the end of my bed and tapped me on the bottom, playfully.
“Anyway, never mind all that. Are things alright between you and Fuller now? I’m not being nosey or anything, but I do recall the chat we had over in Ireland… you know, about the other guy?”
I looked Sellers in the face and sat alongside her.
“You are not going to fucking believe this,” I said.
She grasped my hand in hers. “Want to talk about it?”
I leaned across my now bare mattress and picked up the napkin that still lay on the bedside cabinet. Gripping it in my fist, I took a deep breath.
“The other guy, he’s a cop.”
“Shit.”
“Exactly. When I first met him, he was working undercover, trying to infiltrate our team. Believe it or not, he posed as my boyfriend.”
“Now you are pulling the other one, honey.”
I shook my head. “I found out, long before, well you know, before we did anything.”
“Before you had sex, you mean.”
“Yes, but… later on, after I knew who he really was, we badly needed information regarding a case we were working on, and I called his bluff and went to see him. Sort of payback for what he’d done to me.”
“And he helped you out?”
“Yes, he’s helped a couple of times, but it always went against his principles. It was always difficult for him. You see, he believed that Rick was some kind of gangster.”
Sellers had a little giggle at that.
“Understandable.”
“I suppose, yes. Anyway, once I got to know him a little better, Larry, that’s his name, he seemed really nice. You know, a good, honest, reliable guy.”
“Handsome?”
I managed a smile. “As hot as you like.”
“And, more to the point interested?”
“That was the crux of it, I suppose. Like you said about Simon, there has always seemed to be something in the way of Rick and me. Then, when he left for Ireland without telling me, I did something really stupid.”
Sellers put her hand to her mouth.
“You shagged the copper?”
I just looked into her face. She didn’t need an answer.
“And Rick found out?”
A nod.
“Oh double shit,” she said. “And I take it, our policeman is now smitten?”
I blew out my cheeks.
“Oh yes, the moment we got back into the country, my phone went mad with messages and missed calls from him; all the usual stuff, I miss you, can we go out? Are you okay? Lots of kisses and smiley faces, you know what I mean.”
“I do.”
I put my head in my hands for a moment, sorted my thoughts, took another breath and told Sellers the whole story of the previous evening.
“Now you are fucking joking me, darling,” she said, pushing her hair behind her ears. “He actually proposed after one shag?”
I nodded.
Sellers couldn’t stifle another giggle. “Well, you must have done something right, lady.”
I handed her the napkin. She unfolded it, read the text and looked into my eyes.
“Ah, and he wrote this?”
I nodded. “He pushed it into my hand outside the restaurant.”
“Who else knows about this?”
I gave her that look again.
“You must tell the boys. They need to know. We could have a nutter on our hands here, darling. A nutter with power too, someone with resources. We will be so close to the line on this job, the last thing we need is a nosey cop chasing you about all doe eyed and weepy.”
I blew air down my nose. Was I overreacting?
“I don’t know, Victoria. I mean, he was upset, hurt, embarrassed.” I gestured towards the napkin. “That is just his temper boiling over.”
“But what if it’s the start of something more sinister? I mean, come on, darling, who in their right mind, sets up a proposal like that after one brief drunken dalliance?... What rank is he?”
“Why does that matter?”
“Does he have friends in high places, darling?”
“Not really, he’s a Chief Inspector. Worked his way up I suppose.”
“And you had no inkling of this kind of irrational behaviour before?”
I shook my head.
Sellers stood. I could see her mind working overtime.
“After the gypsy incident, you called two people. One I presumed to be, Cartwright. Then you called someone else, was that your man?”
“Larry Simpson, yes. It was Cartwright’s idea.”
Sellers rummaged
in her jacket and pulled out her phone. She dialled.
“Ah, Cogan, just a quick one. Are the cops still at the Yakim house?” she asked.
“I see,” she said. “And the officer in charge of the investigation…? Thanks… yes, I’m here now,” she looked over. Her expression said it all. “We’ll be along shortly, oh… and Cogan. Watch your back, eh?”
She closed the call.
“Security has been pulled at the Yakim’s. Apparently on the say so of your boy. Grace and the kid are being moved up north out of the way.”
“Probably best.”
“You really need to tell Fuller the bad news,” she said.
I nodded, put the last of my clothes in my bag and zipped it up.
“Let’s get to the house, then. No time like the present.”
Rick Fuller’s Story:
I held the napkin in my hand and read Larry’s message, once, twice. It didn’t get any better. Then, I listened to the story that Lauren told; the restaurant, the proposal; all of it.
Des and Victoria sat in silence on the grubby sofa that the previous tenants had kindly left for us.
“And there’s been no further contact?” I asked.
Lauren shook her head. “Not so far.”
“But he did pull the police guard from Grace’s place,” said Des.
Lauren turned. “He was talking about doing that anyway. The Firm had their mitts all over the job. He knew there was nothing in it for his unit, that there would never be an arrest. Add to that, he was under pressure from the uniform command to free the resources. It may just be coincidence.”
“Aye, and maybe not,” said Des.
I pushed the napkin into my jacket pocket. “Either way, we have to make a start.” I rested a hand on Lauren’s shoulder. “Are you going to be okay?” I asked quietly.