Influence

by Andrew Snadden

  “Are you mad Mark? What the hell were you thinking? If you had been found out or if the security guard knew the Gang personally you would have blown this entire investigation!!!” Valera declared.

  “We know that Jennifer. However, Pearson has been murdered, the operation is going wrong and Drayson is going to take over and get rid of the boss, something had to be done! And besides we got away with it didn't we?” Taggart said defending their actions.

  “I agree with what they're saying. I'm not working for that nob head Drayson, no way! And they're right, the investigation is taking a turn for the worst, desperate times call for desperate measures yeah?!” Usher remarked.

  The six officers sat huddled around quietly discussing it, with Valera slowly coming around to their way of thinking but still citing that it had been stupid and risky whether it was a good idea or not. She also reminded them that they would still get them chewed out when Anaura found out. Crane shrugged his shoulders and said in a booming comical voice that fortune favoured the bold.

  Inside the supervisor's office, Anaura finished updating Drayson on the state of the investigation and he didn't seem impressed. After making a few unnecessarily unfair comments, Drayson went to leave the office before Anaura asked whether he could have a quiet word with him somewhere private. Drayson checked his watch and pulled an uninterested expression before agreeing to talk to Anaura who led him down to the kitchen area. When they arrived, Anaura took a deep breath, questioning in his head whether he should be talking to Drayson, and then told him that he and Richards had been informed of a corrupt officer working for the Gang and he believed Pearson's murder could somehow be linked to this. Drayson felt a freezing shiver run up his spine with the realisation that he might have been discovered. The panic intensified further when he started to recall the Scotland Yard business card Anaura had, Scotland Yard being the home to specialist teams that looked into high level police corruption.

  “Who told you? Did you get a name of the officer?” Drayson asked frantically.

  “Jamie Poultan sir. No he didn't have a name, just that it was a City officer.” Anaura answered.

  Feeling a small measure of relief that Anauara didn't have a name, Drayson asked “Ok, what other evidence do you have to suggest what Poultan is saying is true?”

  “Nothing at the moment sir..............”

  “Well then it's a load of bollocks isn't it? It's absolute bullshit! You're telling me that because a little scum bag tells you there's a bent copper, you're going to believe him without evidence, and start trying to link the burglary to a dirty police officer. Don't you think that the SOCU would have heard of something like that when we were after the Gang?!” Drayson snapped.

  “Sir, the crime scene at Pearson's house didn't look like any burglary I've seen! It looked like a hit! Are you going to ignore the possibility that something could be going on?” Anaura enquired in exasperation.

  “Yes I am, and so are you! In fact I've just about had enough of you and your stupid ideas! The fact that you're believing this crap tells me that you're not suitable to be running this investigation any longer. I am going to speak to Steiner this afternoon, expect to find yourself back on Vice by the end of the week!” Drayson yelled as he stormed out of the office leaving Anaura shocked at how his theory had been received.

  After hearing the rear door slam, Richards appeared from around the corner of the corridor. Anaura looked at him and asked if he had heard what Drayson had to say. Richards nodded and explained how Drayson had always been the type of guy to ignore anyone else's ideas and that he probably could not be bothered in making the case any more complicated than it already was. Anaura shook his head and asked why he would shun a valid line of enquiry, especially one that involved a police officer. Richards replied that Drayson would never go after an idea like that unless there was something in it for him, and the fact that there was no hard evidence to go on, he wouldn't touch it with a barge pole. Anaura tended to agree but still reiterated that it was ignorant.

  Richards patted him on the shoulder and assured him that Drayson would probably not take him off the case but then joked how they were probably better off going back to Vice anyway. The operation was barely two months old and it had already had them sleeping in the office, and subjected them to huge levels of stress they had never experienced before. Anaura smiled and replied that he had a point; no operation was worth this kind of grief.

  The two men were just about to walk back into the supervisor's office when they were approached by Crane and Taggart who asked for a word. Anaura escorted them inside as Valera and Usher looked on at the Intel officers, waiting for the moment when Crane would tell him what they had done.

  “YOU DID WHAT?!” Anaura shouted. Valera looked at the others and whispered “I told you so”.

  “How could you be so stupid guys? You may have wanted to help but this was just plain moronic. If you'd been found out, the operation would be over and you'd be facing a disciplinary!” Richards said with frustration. Anaura asked Richards if the day could get any worse, at which point his phone rang.

  “Great, it just did!” He said as he saw on the phone's digital display that it was Steiner calling him.

  Richards told Crane and Taggart to get out and that he would deal with them later. Anaura answered his phone and was greeted with Steiner yelling at him about what he had said to Drayson. He tried to explain that it was information he needed to share and that Drayson's reaction to it was out of proportion. Steiner replied that Drayson was soon going to be an Assistant Chief and how telling him a far-fetched story about assassinations was never going to end well, let alone mentioning that there was a corrupt officer involved. Steiner then asked why Anaura hadn't told him first to make sure it was something that was worth telling Drayson. When he couldn't provide an answer, Steiner told him to start packing his things as he would be going back to vice that Friday at the behest of Drayson and to consider himself lucky that he hadn't been posted to a response team where he would be working nights for the rest of his career! He then abruptly hung up.

  Anaura put the phone down, picked up his mug and launched it at the wall where it smashed to pieces. Crane and Taggart looked at each other outside worrying that they were about to get torn apart like the mug. Richards told him to calm down and that he had meant what he said about them being better off back at vice. Anaura reflected on how, as usual, Command had made him look like a fool because they were too short sighted to think outside the box. He placed his head into his left hand and whacked his desk. Richards, in a calm and collected manner, enquired when he was going to be taken off the case and what he was going to do in the meantime. Anaura looked up at Richards and said “watch me!” before storming into the main office.

  “YOU TWO!” He shouted over to Crane and Taggart who looked up in fear.

  “GET YOUR ARSES DOWN TO THE WAREHOUSE, SET UP AN OBSERVATION POST!!!! If your security guard is right you've got less than twenty four hours to set up it up. And count yourself lucky that I'm not sticking you on for your good work. Oh and don't tell anybody what you're up to!”

  Anaura charged back into the office where Richards asked whether it was worth running it past Steiner first. He paused whilst pulling a 'really' type of expression at Richards, who replied by saying “Yeah you're right! Bollocks let’s do it!” Anaura called his team into a briefing. If he was going down, he was going to try and take the Gang, and if he was lucky, the corrupt copper, down with him.

  Watching

  Chapter Thirty Two

  That night Crane, Taggart, Streeting and Williams arrived at the warehouse on Basin Road South and parked their unmarked Mondeo in the shadowy confines of a nearby building's alleyway, protected from the bright glow of the fluorescent street lights but still providing them with a view of their target. In front of the warehouse gate there was a security officer in a van from the same firm as before. Due to their chosen location for the Observation Post there was no way they would be ab
le to move in until the security officer left, and if necessary they would have to wait there all night.

  The hours ticked by but the security van remained. Streeting asked the others whether it was worth trying to covertly move into position. Williams swiftly replied that it wasn't even worth contemplating, if they blew this she knew Anaura would have a severe sense of humour failure. Just as the boredom was starting to seriously affect the morale in the car, the security van's lights switched on and the vehicle began to pull away with its headlights illuminating its path.

  “Shit, he's going to see us Streeting! Why didn't you park further up the alley???” Crane suddenly called out.

  “I didn't hear you suggesting anywhere else earlier!” Streeting angrily replied.

  As the van began to come their way, Taggart and Crane rapidly ducked down in the rear of the Mondeo to hide themselves, followed seconds later by Streeting.

  “That's going to be so obvious!” Williams said to Streeting as she grabbed him and started to kiss him passionately in the front seat just as the beam of the security van's headlights shone into their cabin. As the beam illuminated their faces, Williams faked a surprised jerk and began pulling her top about as if hurrying to cover herself up. The security van slowed as it approached the unmarked police vehicle, prompting Taggart in the back to say “he's seen us, hasn't he?” However as the van slowly passed by, the security guard looked at the two embarrassed faces staring back at him and then drove off in frustration when they did not start kissing again.

  “What made you do that?” Streeting asked Williams with a big smile.

  “It worked didn't it? Better than all of us ducking. How obvious would that have been?” She replied with an equally big smile.

  Crane abruptly interrupted them and said that as much as he liked police weddings it was about time they got inside the empty building opposite to set up their Observation Post. Streeting drove the car into the car park and the three other officers jumped out and grabbed all the equipment they needed from boot of the Mondeo before running up to the door and breaking the padlock to gain entry. As they moved inside Streeting drove off at speed to park the car near the City Lagoon before making his way back to the building on foot.

  Inside the other three got to work setting up the various equipment that ranged from long range cameras and microphones, through to laptops and recording devices. After years of service on the Intelligence Unit and countless attachments to the Technical Support Unit the three of them were now highly proficient in swiftly setting up effective and covert Observation Posts. Fifteen minutes later, Streeting returned and assisted his colleagues who were working in near darkness to prevent bright lights being seen from within the building. If someone saw a flurry of lights coming from inside, they would inevitably think that burglars or squatters were there and call the police or worse, the security firm who guarded the buildings.

  After forty minutes the Observation Post was set up and ready to go. The four officers discussed between them who would be paired up and take the first watch. Before anyone could suggest anything Streeting blurted out that he and Williams would take the first shift which drew a huge flirtatious smile from her. Crane and Taggart looked at one another, before Crane remarked that they were there to watch the warehouse and not each other! The two of them told Crane to piss off, feeling incredibly embarrassed on the inside. Taggart interjected that he was tired and was going to try and get some sleep in his lovely police issued sleeping bag with a half inch thick mat beneath it. If there was one thing about an Observation Post it was this; it was never going to be comfortable. Crane followed him after saying night to Streeting and Williams with a wink of inference. The two officers looked at each over whilst desperately trying to hide their coyness and commenting how they had better get started.

  No sooner than they had switched the equipment on, they turned to each other and began to speak at the same time. As they both urged the other to go first, Taggart appeared from behind the wall and told them to keep it down and then spoke for Williams by asking Streeting whether he wanted to go out with her sometime, causing Crane to burst out laughing in the background. Streeting told him to go away before turning back to Williams to ask her whether she fancied it. She shyly nodded in response and pulled an extremely pleased expression.

  “Now shut up love-birds and do some work!” Taggart joked as he returned to his sleeping bag next to Crane who was still laughing. He got into his sleeping bag and commented how it was about time Streeting and Williams shagged and got it over with, as the suppressed sexual tension was doing his head in.

  If You Go Down To The Woods

  Chapter Thirty Three

  The following morning Peter was sat in the office with Richards wondering whether the Observation Post had been successfully set up. Although he had calmed down somewhat from the day before, Anaura still felt that it had been wrong how he had been treated by Steiner and Drayson, to the point where he was considering pulling Steiner to one side to discuss it a 'little less formally'. The stress of the last couple of months had been bad enough but finding out one of his targets had been murdered and hearing rumours about a corrupt copper had well and truly finished him off. When he got home the night before he explained the situation to Laura which made her reply to him that it was now, more than ever, time to transfer to a less stressful role. Anaura whole heartedly agreed with her and informed Richards the moment he got into the office that he was intending to request a transfer from Vice to a project team at HQ. Richards laughed and told him that he wouldn't last a month dealing with the boring desk bound nerds and that all he needed was a little rest and maybe even a few weeks off. Anaura replied that time would tell but before he even considered putting the request in, he wanted to at least leave the operation in a better position than it had been and if luck was on his side, perhaps find out who the dirty copper was.

  Anaura's phone began ringing. He looked at it and saw that it was Steiner calling and exclaimed to Richards how his day was already set to start off badly. He stood up and shook himself off before answering it.

  “Jason, how's it going?” He said, waiting for the grief to begin.

  “Peter, I hope you're a little less stressed? Because what I am about to tell you is going send you off the rails if you're not!!” Steiner remarked without answering Anaura's question or greeting him.

  “Hello to you too Jason! What's up?” Anaura replied sarcastically.

  “Sykes is dead; stabbed to death!”

  Anaura legs wobbled, requiring him to quickly take a seat on the edge of his desk to steady himself.

  “Are you being serious? What happened???” Anaura asked Steiner as Richards looked up at him with confusion due to his reaction to the call.

  “His decomposing body was found a couple of hours ago in a wooded area near to Devils Valley. His car had been left there for a couple of weeks but it hadn't been reported stolen. Well this morning a dog walker stumbled across a horrendous smell as they were walking past the wood, and well, they found him!” Steiner said.

  “Does Drayson know yet? I don't believe this!” Anaura exclaimed.

  “No not yet, I just tried calling him. I'm sorry Peter, I shouldn't have ignored what you were saying at Pearson's house. This can't be a coincidence can it? Two members of the Gang found murdered! Oh and wait it gets worse! A couple of weeks ago a member of the public, otherwise known as a dogger, who was parked up near the Valley called in saying that they had seen a male running through a nearby field and that he had got into a dark coloured Ford Fiesta with a number plate similar to X237 KNV. Well, we couldn't find a match for that but after conducting a ANPR camera check of the east and westbound carriageway near to the Valley, we did manage to find a dark blue Fiesta travelling towards the City's slip-road a couple of of hours before the call! We should have paid more attention to Syke's abandoned car.............” Steiner said.

  “Forget all that for the moment Jason, what about the Fiesta?” Anaura blurted out
with impatience.

  “Ok; it was registered to Anthony Foster, formally PC Anthony Foster of the City's Tactical firearms unit. The same Anthony Foster who is currently wanted for assaulting a man outside a pub in West Ording!”

  “Jesus Christ Jason, are you shitting me? Has anyone located Foster yet? Do you think he's the one working for the Gang?”

  “I don't know, he could be! But I know one thing, I've now got the pathologist's report and it states that Pearson had five holes in him, two of which were in his chest in a tight group and the other three likewise in his abdomen. You're right it definitely wasn't a burglar at Pearson's, it was someone trained, someone like Foster. I think he could be our man Peter. There's two murders, his number plate is similar to the one provided from the Valley, and we're now looking for someone trained in firearms for Pearson's murder. We need to find Foster fast!” Steiner urged Anaura.

  “Right, I need the crime report for the assault, any witnesses and Foster's personnel file now. Does Drayson know yet?” Anaura said.

  “I don't know, I'll call him. I'll email you the crime report now and see if I can get his personnel file quick time. I almost forgot to tell you; Forster was medically retired for mental health issues!” Steiner said.

  “If Foster's suffering from mental health issues too it could be why he's going after the Gang! I'll call Drayson, you sort out Foster's file.” Anaura replied before finishing the call.

  Anaura looked towards Richards and started to explain what was happening before he was stopped mid-sentence by him. Richards interjected and asked Anaura whether he believed that Foster could really be the corrupt copper they were looking for as it did not make sense. Anaura paused and asked why to which Richards replied that as a firearms officer he wouldn't have had much to do with the Gang, plus Poultan never mentioned that the officer was retired.