by Linda Regan
Sadie heard Alison’s cry and immediately jumped up, barking hysterically and turning on the spot to signify that her target was in danger and distress.
‘She’s down there all right,’ Martin said, watching Sadie barking and turning on the spot above Alison. ‘I think she may be in trouble, we need to get to her.’
‘How much longer with the saw?’ Banham was getting frantic.
Joe shook his head. ‘It’s a bastard to get through. Few minutes, three, four, five at most. I’m going as fast as I can, mate.’
‘Alison,’ Banham yelled over Joe’s shoulder. ‘We’re on our way. Hang on, darl …’ but his voice faltered, and Georgia watched his shoulders start to heave. DCI Banham had broken down in tears in front of most of the Metropolitan police unit.
Alison heard the dog barking, and then she heard Banham’s voice again.
She laughed with relief. ‘Hang on, nearly there,’ she told her tiny bump as she sucked in painful air and fought back tears. ‘Hang on, you just hang on, little one, d’you hear me? I’m down here, Banny,’ she cried out, but her voice had become weak with the pain and was barely audible. She was about to walk on when she felt something on her foot. She looked down and saw it was a rat. She didn’t know whether to laugh because she could see it, which meant her vision was fully back, or to cry because it was a rat.
She imagined Georgia Johnson’s reaction. The intransient and stoic Georgia Johnson, who everyone knew had severe OCD, how would she cope, trapped in this dirty, rat-infested hole?
Things were getting better. She could see, she was going the right way out of the tunnel that she was in, and she could hear Banham, at least she thought she could. She hunched herself over again and moved onwards, with one hand on her stomach. Banham, and probably half the Met, were at the end of the tunnel, waiting for her. A moment later, she heard something that sounded like a drill. Was it a drill? Had Banham instructed someone to dig the road up?
Alysha, Panther, Lox, and Tink had been instructed to move back. They were back on the other side of the road, leaning against the bins, watching. Alysha turned her head as another ambulance, wailing its siren, turned into the road and screeched to a halt, allowing the police helicopter, that had been descending, to park and block access up the street.
‘I’ve always wanted to go up in one of them,’ Tink said pointing at Indie 999, ‘D’you think they’ll offer me a ride, if I ask nicely. I’d even offer my body for it.’
‘We don’t do no honking no more,’ Alysha reminded her, smiling and shaking her head. ‘You said you ’ated doing all that, an’ you’d do it again just for a helicopter ride. You ain’t ’alf fickle.’
‘I’d want the ’copter an’ all,’ Tink joked back. ‘Imagine us all, flying over the Aviary, and checking out our street girls in one of them.’
‘We’ll buy one, one day,’ Alysha told her.
‘Oh, dream on,’ Lox laughed, then she became serious. ‘I don’t get this, you know. Why would Melek do this? She’s double-crossed SLRs and given them up, and now she’s double-crossed us, an’ handed over the weapons instead of getting Harisha banged up like we told her.’
‘Must be for the reward,’ Panther said, shaking her head.
‘Yeah, well we’re getting that,’ Lox said. ‘I’ll kill ’er if she tries to take that.’
‘More to it than that,’ Alysha said. ‘Melek ain’t that stupid, she’d know that SLRs, as well as us, would be after her, and she’ll know she ain’t got no one to watch her back.’
‘Hey, do you think she’s a grass? Panther said.
‘Bloody ’ope not,’ Alysha said. ‘Deny everything, if she tries that on us.’
‘We gave her a pistol,’ Lox suddenly said.
‘She can’t prove that,’ Alysha told her. ‘Her word ’gainst four of ours.’
‘They’re like a big gang, them feds,’ Panther said watching as the helicopter door opened and Sergeant Stephanie Green stepped out of it, helped by one of the officers. ‘They all stick together.’
‘So do we,’ Tink said. ‘Let’s just ’ope we ain’t going to prison over all this.’
‘You know what, I’m gonna kill Melek anyway,’ Panther said. ‘I never did like her, and she’s really fucked us over this.’
‘We don’t know for def that she’s even in there, yet,’ Alysha reminded them. ‘Them dogs are pretty sure that Alison Grainger is, but no one’s mentioned Melek.’
‘If Melek ain’t in there, we’ll still get the reward, won’t we? Lox said. ‘Cos otherwise we’ve lost a hell of a lot of corn, we could have sold all them Mac 10s and machetes, made a right killing.’
Alysha turned to her. ‘Keep your voice down, will ya? If we lose the weapons there is a good side to it. You gotta look to the future. This def is gonna put Harisha Celik away for a long stretch, right, and that leaves his territory clear for us.’ She turned and pulled her mouth into a wide smile. ‘We are gonna move onto his patch. We’ll take over his girls, and use the money to rebuild the Aviary community centre and our shops. We’ll tell his street girls they only work if they want to, and we’ll supply them with whatever stuff they want, the ones that need supplying, that is. If they don’t wanna work, and want ’elp to get off the drugs, then we’ll give it. We’ll ’elp ’em and they can join the ACs. We’ll need to build up our gang, the bigger we get, the more we can move in on other territories. We’ll clean the whole of London up eventually, make loads of corn, and the feds won’t know what’s hit them.’
‘But our estate and our kids’ll come first,’ Tink argued.
‘Always,’ Alysha said. ‘No one on our patch will have to put up wiv what we have,’ she said. ‘Not so long as we rule the Aviary. An’ rule we will, whatever the price, and whoever we ’ave to fight to keep it that way. And then we’ll expand to other territories.’
‘But we four run the AC’s,’ Panther said. ‘No one else.’
‘No, course no one else. But we ’ave to take on soldiers, cos they’ll be others trying to muscle in on us all the time, and we’ll need muscle to keep on top of all that, so we’ll keep taking on working and fighting soldiers, and keep cleaning up more estates, and stopping the big dealers muscling in on kids, and we’ll be looking to give all kids chances like we never ’ad.’
‘We’re family, though,’ Tink said.
Alysha reached out and took her hand. ‘Yeah, we are, an’ always will be, mate.’
‘It’s nice to ’ave a family, I ain’t never ’ad one before.’
‘You wait till you have kids, an’ we’ve built playgrounds and youth centres for them, and the estate’s a great place to grow up on. You’ll have a massive family then.’
Georgia stared in disbelief as Stephanie made her way over from the helicopter. ‘How come you arrived in Indie 999?’
‘You said quick as you can.’ Stephanie grinned. ‘I know Perry well.’ She turned her head and winked at the skipper. ‘He was in radio contact with us all, he heard you say, “Quick as you can,” so he told me to wait outside the nick and he picked me up. Nice of him, wasn’t it?’
Georgia was shaking her head in astonishment. ‘Where did he park, when he picked you up?’
‘In the middle of the street.’
Georgia stared at her.
‘I wanted to get here asap,’ Stephanie told her. ‘We all want to help Alison, so Perry helped me out. I’ve put him on a promise.’ She looked at the tunnel and became serious again. ‘Is she definitely down there?
‘We think so?
‘And alive?’
‘That, we hope.’
Alysha and her girls were now walking up the road. Georgia signalled to them to join her.
‘How’s it going?’ Alysha asked, watching Joe Miller still sawing madly at the chain that held the bolt in place.
‘Nearly there,’ Georgia told her. ‘And this is all down to you. We are very grateful to you all.’
Banham was listening as Georgia was speaking to them.
‘Yes, it is, and I personally thank you,’ he said to the four of them. ‘You may well have saved an officer’s life. That’s a big, big deal. We owe you, big time.’
The girls all made eye contact, and Alysha winked at them.
He pointed to where Sadie the Alsatian was sitting. ‘We think she’s under here,’ he told them.
‘Clever dog,’ Panther said. ‘Is Melek in there too?’
‘That we don’t know,’ Georgia told them. ‘The dogs have only got DI Grainger’s coat.’
‘How well do you know the tunnel?’ Banham asked them.
None of them answered.
‘Do you know what exactly lies beneath this padlocked grille? How we get into the space that’s underneath?’
‘Have any of you ever been down there?’ Georgia questioned them.
Alysha flicked a glance at Panther and then back. ‘I went down there, once, a long time ago,’ she said. ‘It’s one long fucker of a drop, after you get the grille and padlock off. There was a rope on a hook, ’bout a foot down on the inside of the hole. You have to tie it round your waist and drop down. I remember there was steps too, made of thinnish metal stuff, on the side of the drain, but they didn’t really look very safe, so you just have to use the rope and drop. It’s like jumping off a wall. Someone has to wait here for you, to help bring you back up. If no one is here, you wouldn’t be able to get out.’
Georgia noticed the look of horror that spread across Banham’s face.
‘It’s off, guv.’
They looked around to see Joe Miller holding up the chain and one half of the bolt that he had managed to saw through. His colleague Peter Hayes immediately moved in and surveyed the hole.
Georgia, Stephanie, and Banham hurried the few yards to the edge of the hole, closely followed by Alysha and Tink, Panther, and Lox, who were immediately told to stand back, by the uniformed police.
Georgia and Banham both knelt down by Joe and Peter, while Stephanie peered over their shoulder.
‘There’s the rope,’ Georgia said.
Peter leaned in and, held onto by Joe, lowered his body, trying to reach the rope.
‘Jesus, I wouldn’t fancy going down there,’ Stephanie said from behind Georgia.
‘Don’t worry, we wouldn’t let you!’ Georgia said, stifling the urge to laugh. The manhole was barely wide enough for a normal-sized person and Stephanie Green was fourteen stone.
‘Got it,’ Peter, suddenly said. He was leaning back from the entrance to the tunnel, and holding the long rope. After checking that it was secure, he started to tie the other end around himself.
Banham leaned into the hole. ‘Ali-sooon! Can you hear us?’
They all held their breath. And then a faint cry came from the tunnel, ‘Banny, I’m here. Help!’
As Georgia turned to Stephanie, Banham jumped up and snatched the rope from Peter’s grip. ‘I’ll go first,’ he told him.
‘No, sir, sorry, I can’t allow it,’ Peter answered, pulling back on the rope. ‘This is our job, and it may not be safe.’
‘I’ll take full responsibility,’ Banham told him, pulling again to get the rope away from the fireman, which Peter resisted giving him.
‘No, sorry, sir, I have to say no.’
‘Give me the rope,’ Banham half shouted, tugging and beginning to get the better of the fireman.
Georgia quickly intervened. ‘Sir, get a bloody grip. It’s not safe, and it’s not your job, so stand away and let Peter get on with it.’
Banham attempted to push her out of the way, but she held her ground. ‘I am Senior Investigating Officer on this enquiry,’ she told him. ‘And I am ordering you to stand back.’
Uniformed officers had now edged nearer, as had the other six firemen, and the Alsatian was barking furiously.
‘Sir, I really don’t think …’ one of the officers said.
‘Just get out of the way,’ Banham shouted, grabbing at the rope.
‘I’m sorry, sir, but no, and you’re now wasting time.’
Georgia had had enough. She again raised her voice. ‘DCI Paul Banham, I am arresting you for obstruction, you do not have to say anything …’
Nineteen
Georgia turned to Stephanie and told her to handcuff Banham.
‘If you do,’ Banham said threateningly to Georgia, ‘you will be back in uniform for the rest of your career, and that’s a promise. Now get out of my way.’
Georgia lowered her voice. ‘Sir, I beg you,’ she said changing her tactic. ‘Let the firefighters go first. You’re not thinking straight and you don’t …’
‘Let go of me. Now!’
Peter had meanwhile got another rope. He’d secured one end to the fire engine and was wrapping the other end round his waist. He picked up the rope attached to the tunnel wall. ‘Let’s tie this, and let’s get in there,’ he said to Banham, giving Georgia a reassuring nod as he wrapped the rope around Banham’s waist, then double-checking it was secure.
Georgia was furious. If anything happened to either Alison or Banham, she would have to carry the can.
‘I’ll be right behind you,’ Peter told Banham as he double-checked his own rope, and you’ll do everything I tell you, have you got that?’
‘Got it.’
‘Good, then …’
‘I’m not happy about this …’ Georgia butted in, but stopped as she caught the warning shake of Peter’s head.
‘I’ll take full responsibility,’ Banham said, stepping carefully into the wide manhole, and slowly disappearing as his feet descended the thin iron steps that Alysha had described at the side of the tunnel wall.
‘I’ll be right behind him,’ Peter said nodding assurance to Georgia.
Alison was trying not to panic. The pain in her abdomen wasn’t consistent, it came and it went, but when it came it felt like she was being stabbed with a sharp knife. She made herself count her plusses. Her sight was as clear as it could be in the darkness of the tunnel, and that was a bonus. She also knew she was going towards the exit, but how far away that was, she had no idea.
Banham’s voice seemed to just come out of nowhere. ‘Alison! Alison, can you hear me?’ and it sounded so close she thought she had to be imagining it.
‘Paul, Paul,’ she shrieked like some delirious evacuee. ‘Paul, I can hear you.’
No answer. She lowered her eyes and let out a heartfelt sigh. She was imagining it. When she opened her eyes, he came into view. He was on all fours, crawling and speeding along the dirty tunnel like a manic over-wound toy.
She couldn’t contain her tears.
They hurriedly scrambled the few feet to each other, and reached out and fell into each other’s arms, both clinging and both trying to speak.
‘I thought I’d …’
‘Are you all right?’
Then he planted kisses all over her head.
Peter’s voice came from behind Banham, ‘I’m still here,’ he said. ‘So don’t get too carried away. How are you, Alison? It would be good to get back to daylight.’
‘You’re bleeding,’ Banham said, suddenly aware she had blood on the side of her head. ‘She’s bleeding,’ he turned to tell Peter.
‘I’m OK,’ she assured him. ‘I’ve cut my hand, that’s all. And my head took a smack, but I’m all right, but Melek Yismaz isn’t. She’s further down the tunnel, she’s unconscious and pregnant. She has admitted committing the four murders to me. She needs an emergency ambulance. And there’s a large consignment of weapons and drugs that we need for evidence. She told me they belong to Harisha Celik.’
Banham turned back to Peter. ‘Can you shout for two ambulances to stand by?’
‘On way.’
‘We’ll get you out of here, and checked out first.’ He was bent over and had started moving sideways still holding her hand. ‘Are you sure you are OK?’
‘I’ve got stomach pains, I’m getting anxious about them.’
She heard his sigh, but he made no comment.
‘Did you find my phone?’ she asked him.
‘Yes.’
‘And check the call history?’
‘Yes.’
‘Paul, that was her. That little cow phoned an abortion clinic while pointing a gun at me. So when you found my phone, and checked my call history, you’d think I was there, doing that, and wouldn’t go looking for me.’
He stopped and turned to her, his voice breaking as he asked, ‘So you didn’t …’
Her tears matched his. ‘I’d never do that. I love you and want this ba …’
‘Ambulance standing by,’ Peter yelled as he scrambled back towards them.
‘We’ll talk later,’ Banham told Alison.
‘How far is the entrance?’
‘Not far. There are officers waiting, with ropes.’
‘Ropes? For what?’
‘We have to lift you out. I’ll make sure they are careful. The paramedics are there, ready to help. How did you get yourself in here?’
‘I don’t remember everything about it. I couldn’t see properly and Melek was physically moving me when I couldn’t do what she wanted. And I’d hurt my head’
‘How come?’ His voice was now full of concern.
‘A smack with something sharp, but don’t worry, I’m OK now. Just tell our baby to hold tight.’
Light appeared, and she looked up to where the ground level and pavement were. ‘The exit is coming up,’ he told her.
She said a silent prayer as Banham tied the rope under her arms.
‘Passing you over to Peter, now,’ he whispered, kissing her tenderly on the forehead.
She looked up and saw Georgia and Stephanie looking over the hole, both had their arms outstretched to her.
‘Ambulance waiting for you,’ Georgia shouted down.
‘And I’ve got sherbet lemons,’ Stephanie added, making her smile.
‘We are going to hoist you up the side of a wall,’ Peter said as he double-checked her rope was secure around her waist. ‘I’m sorry, it’ll be over in seconds, but this is the only way out.’
The pain in Alison’s abdomen had struck again. She squeezed her lips together to help quell it. Peter noticed. He rubbed her shoulder. ‘I’m gonna be right underneath you. You can’t fall. You’re in good hands,’ he assured her pointing to the two fireman crouched down on the pavement beside Georgia, ready to lift her as soon as she came near enough.