by Liz Mistry
Before Gus could respond, he noticed a red laser dot on Vulcan’s forehead. The front door clattered open and yells of ‘Don’t Move!’ exploded through the house. Footsteps thudded down the hallway accompanied by shouts of ‘clear’ as they approached.
At fucking last! Gus lowered his head on the floor and waited for them.
56
09:30 HM Women’s Prison Stanton, Surrey
Breakfast in prison was the time of day Alice hated the most. Mealtimes in general were bad, but breakfast was the worst. The women had had the night for petty animosities to fester, for the stir-crazy to blow things out of proportion, for homesickness to settle in their guts like rancid cheese. Alice had come to expect some sort of disagreement in the morning and if she was lucky, if she kept her head down and stuck with Lulu, she’d usually manage to avoid being part of it. So, when the alarm sounded just as she was about to make the first decision of the day – brown or white bread for her toast, she wasn’t entirely surprised. She turned round half expecting to see a fight erupting in the corner.
Instead, the officers ran to the back of the dining hall and something was slipped into Alice’s hand. She glanced down. A shiv. Looking up, she met Lulu’s eyes. The older woman nodded and Alice got it. This was all for her – the alarm, the skirmish at the back of the dining hall, everything.
She stepped forward and found herself engulfed by a sea of bodies, forming a large circle around her. Someone was pushed into the centre of the circle – someone huge and rabid – Baby Jane Inflictor of Pain. She saw Alice and her face broke into a gap-toothed smile. She stepped closer to Alice, her arms splayed by her sides, her fingers beckoning Alice towards her, ‘Come on then, Come on.’ Her voice was guttural.
Alice circled the edge of the group of women. Her mouth broke into a smile. Lulu had set this up. Lulu had given her this chance and the last thing Alice was going to do was give up on it. Baby Jane had taken too much from her already. Now it was pay day. Payback time. This time the odds would be even.
Alice looked round and saw that Baby Jane’s enforcer’s arms were yanked behind her back by two of Lulu’s bitches. Hairy Mary and her crew were likewise restrained. Alice took a step forward. Her body was aching, but she didn’t care. This was her chance. This was her opportunity to exact revenge. The thurrump of adrenalin soaring into her limbs, propelled her forward. Despite her injuries, she had agility on her side. Baby Jane was like a buffalo, too big and cumbersome to negotiate any artistic moves.
Alice jolted forward jabbing the shank at Baby Jane and diving back before it had a chance to connect. Baby Jane stumbled while trying to grab Alice’s wrist. Alice laughed. The bigger woman was too predictable – too damn easy to trick. Repeating the movement twice in quick succession, Alice sniggered as Jane stumbled to one side and then the other trying to keep up with her.
God I could do this forever!
Lulu’s voice came from the edge of the circle, ‘Get it done Al. You’ve not got long. The girls can only keep the officers busy for so long. Just do it.
Grinning, enjoying the power seep through her body as Baby Jane flailed around the circle, the jeers from the spectators egged Alice on. This was the first time that Alice had been in control for a long time. She was desperate to savour it, but on the other hand she was aware of how many favours Lulu had cashed in in order to make this happen. Time to get it done.
Alice dived forward and Baby Jane, anticipating a repeat of Alice’s earlier move, over extended her arm. Alice kept going and dived up close to her, her body hammering into the bigger woman. Jane, momentarily wrong footed, spun round but Alice was on her. She grabbed her, spun her round and yanked her arm up her back till the woman was yelping in rage as much as pain.
‘Guess what bitch? Your time has come.’
Alice sliced the home-made knife down Jane’s sweaty T-shirt, uncaring whether she nicked the flab that was concealed beneath or not. The woman’s breasts swung heavy and pendulous in the air and Alice grabbed one. Holding it in one hand, her small hand unable to circle it fully, she pulled the shiv up.
Jane roared, and as Alice let her crash onto the floor, she grabbed her bloody breast. But Alice wasn’t done. She stood over the woman, straddling her body and with the Shiv pressed under Jane’s chin, she said,
‘Open. Fucking open.’
Baby Jane shook her head, and Alice pressed harder. ‘Open.
Baby Jane hesitated, her gaze fixed on Alice. For ten seconds they locked eyes until, as Alice increased the pressure on the shiv, Jane looked away and opened her mouth. Alice rammed the nipple in. Her eyes flashing, sweat dotting her forehead, Alice pressed the shiv a little harder, under the other woman’s chin. ‘Fucking swallow.’
Gipping, Baby Jane shook her head, but Alice held her nose with one hand the other over her mouth. It was only then that Alice became aware that some of the other women were holding Jane’s limbs down. Jane threw her head from side to side, making mewling noises, like a trapped cat.
Alice leaned down and spoke in her ear. ‘Do it. Just do it. I know you can – you’ve done it before.’
Jane went limp beneath her and under her hand, Alice felt the big woman chew, then swallow, gipping as she did so. Alice kept her hand planted firmly on her mouth till she was sure it was done.
Tears sprung from Jane’s eyes and rolled down her cheek. Alice didn’t care. She removed her hand and, her voice cold, said, ‘Open.’
She checked Jane’s mouth before pushing herself off the heap of flab that lay whimpering beneath her. She looked around for the shiv, but it was gone. She stuck her hand in Jane’s jogger trousers pocket and frisked her. Happy with her find she kicked Jane in the side and turned away.
‘Quick.’ The sound was an urgent hiss. Alice stood up and walked back to her table. Lulu pushed an oversized sweatshirt at her. ‘Cover up.’
By the time the prison officers came over, Baby Jane was beginning to sit up, pulling her ruined T-shirt around her bloodied breast and claiming to have seen nothing.
One of the officers stared at Alice as she escorted a weeping Baby Jane from the dining hall, but Alice kept chewing her toast chatting to Lulu as if she hadn’t even noticed the skirmish in the corner. She’d done the necessary and that was that.
57
09:40 Saddleworth Moor
The next hour was a blur to Gus. The SCO19s stormed the farmhouse, and within half an hour an air ambulance was landing in the field at the back. Lewis Gore had a very faint pulse and Gus hoped he’d survive this. Daniel had fallen into a fitful doze and kept mumbling Izzie’s name. Gus sighed. He’d be the one to tell the man he’d lost his fiancée and he wasn’t looking forward to this. However, on the plus side, at least Gabriella would be relieved to have her brother back. The two injured men were stretchered out into the cold daylight air, making use of the temporary reprieve in the blizzard.
The younger brother stood quietly as he was cautioned and cuffed. After Gus had been extricated from under Furkan’s body, Vulcan had all but collapsed into one of the armchairs, his right leg jiggling up and down. He’d alternated between casting furtive glances at his brother’s corpse and wiping his fingers across his eyes and down his face. Gus understood how he felt. Killing someone you love is not easy to come to terms with – Gus had first-hand experience of that.
One of the SCO19 team had applied a tourniquet around Gus’ leg, but still he’d lost a lot of blood – another pair of jeans lost! Movement around the farmhouse kept coming in and out of focus and the faint nausea every time he moved his head made him stay still. He was relieved when a paramedic appeared in the living room and got to work cleaning his wound and administering morphine.
Next time Gus looked up, it was to see Nancy enter the room bundled up in her winter coat with a scarf wrapped round her neck. ‘How the hell did you get here?’
‘Helicopter.’ Nancy’s tone was muffled behind her scarf. ‘The blizzard’s abated a bit, so I hitched a lift with the paramedics. They’
ll airlift you out in a bit.’
Gus had never been so pleased to see a familiar face, ‘Gore?’
Nancy shrugged. ‘Not sure. They’ve taken him and Daniel Farrier to Manchester General. Doesn’t look good though.’
Gus winced as the paramedic rolled him onto a stretcher. ‘Daniel?’
‘Oh, he’ll probably live. Might lose a couple of fingers in the process though. Paramedics say they only just got to him in time.’ She leaned closer to Gus and spoke in a quiet voice. ‘You messed up here. You shouldn’t have blundered in on your own with Gore. Totally unacceptable and irresponsible and, if my memory serves me right, you ignored a direct order.’ She glared at him and it was as if her disappointment sparked off a chain reaction that increased the pain generated by each of his wounds. Having been on the receiving end of Nancy’s wrath before now, Gus took the path of least resistance and only nodded. What else could he do? She was right. All of this was his fault.
Gus couldn’t quite decipher if her humph was of disgust or acceptance of his unspoken apology, so he waited – trying not to focus on the army of ants that seemed to be nipping and pulling at every injury he’d obtained.
‘I’ve kept this as low key as I can – although, make no mistake, there will be a full and rigorous official investigation,’ she lowered her voice to a whisper and spoke in his ear. ‘The substance of your defence will no doubt be the extreme time pressure to rescue Daniel Farrier, the extraordinary weather conditions and your belief that the SCO19s would – being an elite organisation with access to state-of-the-art technology as opposed to a crappy Volvo – be on site before you. Am I clear?’
‘Yes Ma’am.’ Gus was under no illusions that anything short of professional formality would not be tolerated at this point.
‘Right,’ Nancy cleared her throat and continued. ‘I want to give you the chance to talk to Daniel Farrier before MI6 butt in. Can’t stand the thought of those arrogant suits strutting all over our investigation. We’ve done the ground work, we should see it through. Think you’ll be up for it or should I step in?’
Gus smiled. ‘What do you think? Both Farrier and the Turk are mine. Do whatever you do to keep the spooks away from them. I want first dibs. Just need to get this scratch stitched and I’ll be right.’ He glanced down at his leg and, as the morphine began to kick in, realised just how much pain he’d been in.
‘Good job you’re being taken to Manchester General too. Nothing more natural than you wanting to visit your brother-in-law.’
Gus choked down the word ‘ex’ and just smiled. Nancy was right, he had a ready-made excuse to be near Daniel when he was fit to speak. He just hoped the spooks didn’t descend before he was cleared and ready to go.
‘What about Vulcan?’
Nancy winked, ‘I pulled in a few favours after expressing my disappointment with the SCO19s about you and Gore being left on your own in the cold. We’ve taken him to a station in Ashton-Under-Lyne, but for some reason the paperwork has been delayed. You need to get sorted and out of the hospital ASAP.’
What the hell? So much for her concern over his injuries and his well-being. Clearly this was his punishment for fucking up. On the other hand, he was damn lucky Nancy was still prepared to back him after his huge cock-up.
As Nancy turned to speak to the paramedics, he grabbed her arm, ‘Keep me updated on Gore.’
Nancy patted his hand. ‘I will, but you need to own your mistakes, Gus. I understand that Gore would have been as gung-ho as you, but you are the senior officer and you need to put the safety of your team first.’
Nancy was right, he’d been an arse and if Gore died he’d never forgive himself. What was wrong with him? He couldn’t make a good decision if his life depended on it. First Alice and now this travesty. He needed to pull it back. Get his butt in gear and tie this case up tight.
58
09:55 Holmfield Court
‘Ace bloody space man.’ His PC had pinged and within ten second Compo had jumped to his feet, wiggling his arse in a parody of a constipated chicken, then raised his hand in front of Taffy’s face in expectation of a high five.
Taffy slouched in Compo’s armchair, his coat covering him like a blanket, his legs propped up on the coffee table was awakened by Compo’s racket. He blinked a couple of times to get his bearings and jumped to his feet, ignoring his friend’s proffered hand. ‘What you got, Comps?’
Compo, arms extended before him, fists clenched, moved them in a clockwise circular motion with his hips making a similar movement, and proceeded to chant, ‘Who’s got the goods? Compo’s got the goods. Who’s got the goods? Compo’s got the goods.’
Grinning, Taffy mimicked Compo’s crazy dance for a minute and repeated his earlier question, ‘What you got?’
Compo dropped his arms and falling back onto his computer chair, moved the mouse and grinning said, ‘Ta da!’
Taffy looked at the screen, which looked similar to the one they’d witnessed earlier. ‘What’s it mean?’
‘JayRay’s come up trumps. They got CCTV footage from inside Kennedy’s solicitors office dated before he went into his coma as well as afterwards. Want to see?’
Before Taffy could reply, Compo pressed play and they were transported once more into Russell Allison-Hinton’s opulent office. Compo tapped the screen, his fingertip landing on the face of a handsome, well-built man. ‘That’s Sean Kennedy.’
Taffy leaned in for a better look. ‘You’re right. God, who’d have believed it?’
Compo flicked the screen right where Kennedy’s face was, ‘Still think he looks a sleazy bastard. Can’t believe Alice fell for him.’ He flicked the screen again, ‘Smarmy bastard.’ With a last glower at Kennedy he turned to Taffy, ‘Seems this solicitor records all his meetings and uploads them to a server between Uzbekistan and Romania after sending it bouncing round the world.’
‘And this helps us how?’
‘Because, my guy implemented a deep search for various key words – two of them being ‘Alice’ and ‘Cooper’ – and it threw this up.’ Compo cracked his fingers together. It was this sort of stuff that made him love his job. ‘Listen.’
Sean Kennedy: ‘Well?’
Allison-Hinton: ‘It’s all set up. Big H is on side. You finish her off and he’ll back your self-defence plea. It’ll all lead back to Cooper and you can be off sunning it in Barbados.’
Sean Kennedy: ‘Shame really. Our DC Alice Cooper was a good lay.’ He shrugged, a huge grin covering his face ‘Hey ho. That’s life. There’ll be plenty more where she came from.’ He winked, ‘I’ll just make sure I get shiggy shiggy with her tonight – a final date.’
Compo paused the recording, ‘See the time date?’
Taffy nodded. ‘The day before the raid that ended with Kennedy in a coma and Alice in pieces.’
Compo prodded himself in the chest. ‘Then we put her back together again. Gus and the team.’
Taffy looked at the screen and then at Compo, ‘It’s really good Comps. It implicates Sean Kennedy and his solicitor in the whole drug and weapon’s trafficking and might even clear Alice of all wrong doing. But…’ he shrugged, ‘how can we use it to clear her name when we got it illegally?’
Compo stood up and grabbed sheaves of paper from the printer behind Taffy. ‘These are only a few of the documents showing a paper trail between this solicitor and Kennedy extending as far as Barbados. The rest I’ve encrypted and saved to the cloud, but there’s more than enough evidence there to show that Sean Kennedy planned all of this and implicated Alice on purpose.’
Taffy skimmed through the documents, his grin widening as he read more and more. He looked at Compo. ‘But Comps this is all fine and well, but we still got it illegally. We can’t use it.’
Compo grinned, ‘No you’re right, we can’t, but if someone was to anonymously send an encrypted file with all this information to the prosecution and Alice’s defence team, then well… it would be grounds for a search warrant, wouldn’t it? Alice is co
ming home.’
Taffy crashed the heel of his hand against his forehead, ‘Why the hell didn’t I think of that, Comps. Genius, pure bloody genius.’
Compo stuffed some tortillas in his mouth as Taffy reached for his mobile. ‘Time to share the good news with Gus, eh?’
When the phone was answered, Taffy spoke in a rush. ‘Oh, it’s you Ma’am. Got good news. We got the bastard – Kennedy – we got him, or should I say Comps did. Alice is coming home. She’s innocent.’
He listened for a minute frowning, ‘Hospital? … Manchester? … Dead?’
Compo stopped, handful of tortillas half way to his mouth. His heart plummeted. What had happened to Gus? They’d only just cleared Alice’s name and now Gus was dead.
Before Taffy had a chance to speak, Compo fell backwards into his chair and slammed a can of coke at the wall. Half empty, its contents fizzed and spurted onto the paintwork as the can fell to the ground. ‘He’s dead?’
Taffy grabbed Compo by the shoulders and shook him. ‘Not Gus, idiot. Gus is fine – well not exactly fine – he’s been stabbed, but he’ll be okay. No, it’s one of Daniel Farrier’s kidnappers who’s dead. Not Gus.’
Compo, blinked, swallowed and then smiled. ‘Not Gus?’
‘Uh, Uh, definitely not Gus’
Thinking that his heart would explode, Compo placed his heel on the floor and did a wheelie on his chair. ‘Fuckin bossed it Taffs! Fuckin bossed it.’
59