Dead Man Walking

by David Carter

  “I didn’t mean to hurt you, I was just–”

  “Thinking about yourself, like always?”

  He hesitated. “Yes,” he answered.

  “And you’re turning yourself in?”

  “There’s no point in hiding anymore. Most of my family are dead; I’m tired of running.”

  “You still have your real family, Bobby...”

  “I know. And I’ll make it up to you if and when I ever get out. I promise.”

  Elizabeth decided to capitalise on the situation. “You mean you’ll actually come to visit me?”

  “Yes.”

  “You’ll come for Christmas dinner?”

  “Yes.”

  “And you’ll go to see your sister?”

  “You know I love Trinity.”

  “And you’ll mend fences with James?”

  Blaze considered his brother and sighed. “I’ll think about it.”

  “You’ll think about it?”

  “Fine, I’ll make peace with James.”

  “Very well. I forgive you.” She squeezed him tightly and kissed him on the cheek, before standing back, straightening his collar and fussing over him. “My, you do look rather handsome in that suit, my boy.”

  “Don’t push it,” he replied, rolling his eyes.

  Trigger finally showed a glimpse of his former self, laughing out loud as the notorious leader of the Sinners & Scarecrows was humiliated by his own mother, wiping a small smudge of food from his cheek with a dollop of saliva on her lace handkerchief.

  Chapter 75

  Trigger and Blaze casually made their way around the banquet hall, monitored closely by their security detail.

  They eventually found themselves sitting at the bar. “Whisky on the rocks,” Blaze ordered for the two of them.

  “Better enjoy it while it lasts,” Trigger said as he sipped at his tumbler. “I sure wish you weren’t going inside, brother.”

  “Tell me about it,” Blaze muttered.

  “It’s not too late to run, you know. I can cause a distraction while you make a break for it...”

  “No, brother, not this time. I’m getting it over with. Ryan reckons I’ve got a decent chance of a reduced sentence after what we did at Camp Tahawus. I’d be happy with anything short of ten years. I’d still have plenty of good years left in me after I get out.”

  “And if Ryan’s wrong?”

  “Then I’ll be doing countless push-ups in my cell to pass the time.”

  Silence lingered between the two of them, until Blaze said, “What about you? Did the commissioner hint anything as to what time you and Ciggy have to serve?”

  “Apparently the commissioner’s taken a liking to Ciggy after his cooperation in tracking down the miserable fucker who killed Papa Bear and Lemon.”

  “So they caught him, then?”

  “Not yet. But they’re getting close. I overheard the commissioner filling in Ryan while we were trying on our suits. He said they could identify the Jackal by some fancy million-dollar watch he was wearing or some shit like that.”

  “Really? What else did he mention?”

  “Oh, not much really. I heard him say that Hampton suspects someone high up in the government is involved, and that he threatened your mother.”

  “He did what?”

  “Yeah, after ordering Papa Bear and Lemon’s deaths he phoned Hampton and told him to back off or he’d come after Elizabeth.”

  Blaze knocked back his whisky, slammed his tumbler down on the bar, then stormed off in search of Commissioner Marshall. Trigger followed. They found him schmoozing a group of men, dressed in the finest quality Italian suits money could buy. Blaze barged right on it, steam bellowing from his ears as he confronted the commissioner. “The Jackal threatened my mother and you didn’t think to fucking tell me?”

  The commissioner was taken aback. He excused himself from the group of startled men, and replied, “Look, just take a breath and calm down. We’re at a charity event for heaven’s sake.”

  “I’ll calm down when you answer my fucking question.”

  “All right, Bobby, you can rest assured that we are doing everything we can. As of right now we don’t know who the Jackal is, or what he’s planning. I’d say he’s lying low right now, as Hampton’s been nipping at his heels. We’ve had no contact with him since your fellow MC members’ murders.”

  “Is it true that you think he’s a government official?”

  “Keep your voice down,” the commissioner muttered. “We don’t know for sure, but it’s a possibility, yes.”

  “And every piece of brass governing the country is present here tonight?”

  “Let’s just say all the major players are on board.”

  “So he could be standing in this fucking room, and you haven’t thought to do anything about it?”

  The commissioner exhaled heavily through his nose. “Look, I understand your frustration, but both Hampton and I were told to take a step back from the case in the hope that we don’t provoke the Jackal into another act of terrorism.”

  Blaze recalled the details Ryan had told him while in the States. “You mean the school bombing?”

  “Yes.”

  “Who told you to step down?”

  “Assistant Commissioner of International and National Security Richard Tims; the same man holding me responsible for your capture.”

  “And you don’t think it’s strange that he would tell you to stand down from the investigation?”

  The commissioner lowered his voice. He looked left and right to make sure they weren’t being overheard. “Detective Hampton suspects Richard Tims is the Jackal. We’re monitoring his every moment. So as I’ve already said, we’re doing everything we possibly can...”

  “Which one is he?” Blaze demanded.

  The commissioner pointed him out. He was standing in a circle of men, laughing at some witty joke.

  Trigger casually glanced over at the group of men. “I think I’ve seen him before,” he said quietly.

  “Yes, it’s quite likely you have. Richard Tims has been on the television numerous times,” the commissioner replied.

  “No, I didn’t mean Tims. The other guy.” Trigger pointed him out.

  “Mike Chambers?”

  “Yeah. He looks familiar somehow.”

  “I don’t see how you could possibly recognise him. He’s my newly appointed deputy. He was assigned as my second-in-command when I accepted the role of chief commissioner.”

  Ryan, Sharon, Hampton, and Elizabeth interrupted the conversation. “Everything all right here, sir?” Ryan asked.

  “I’m not sure,” he replied.

  “Now I know where I’ve seen him!” Trigger exclaimed.

  “Seen who?” Hampton asked.

  The commissioner pointed out Mike Chambers.

  “I saw him at one of Ciggy’s black-market sales awhile back. I haggled a couple of Heckler & Koch MP5 submachine gun from his dealer.”

  “Are you sure?” the commissioner asked. “You actually spoke with him?”

  “Well, not directly. Like I said, I haggled with his dealer. I was driving a hard bargain to the point where he needed some advice as to the price I wanted them for. He was out the back playing poker with–” he took a moment to recall the name.

  “Snatch?” Hampton offered.

  “Yeah, that’s him. I remember he came out of the back room for a brief moment. His dealer pointed at me, said a few encouraging words, and the man nodded before heading back to the table.”

  “So, assuming you’re right, Snatch was lying when he said he had no idea as to the Jackal’s identity,” Hampton growled. He was furious with himself. He knew he should have pressed him further.

  “Look, I could be wrong, I was pretty high at the time. But I’m pretty sure it’s him,” Trigger said.

  “Well there’s only one way to find out,” Hampton said. He marched forward with Elizabeth at his side. He stopped directly in front of Mike Chambers. “Good eveni
ng, sir.” He smiled. “I just wanted to thank you for the invitation; it’s been a lovely evening.” He paused, then said, “This is my fiancé, Elizabeth Blaise.”

  “How do you do,” Chambers greeted her with a warm smile.

  “Are you here alone?” Hampton asked innocently.

  “Yes, unfortunately, my wife, Maggie, passed away some time ago now. God rest her soul.” He crossed himself.

  Maggie! Hampton went in for the kill. He lifted his wrist to check the time on his Rolex. “Oh, would you look at that: bloody thing’s stopped working. Could I trouble you for the time?”

  “Certainly,” Chambers replied.

  He pulled back the sleeve on his suit jacket. And there is was, in all its glory, the rose gold Patek Philippe watch with the exclusive Goutte bracelet.

  I’ve got you now, you son of a bitch, Hampton thought.

  Chambers saw the look on Hampton’s face and he instantly knew he’d made a mistake. He pulled a pistol from his jacket pocket and grabbed hold of Elizabeth, shoving the barrel to the side of her head.

  Chapter 76

  “Everybody out, now!” Chambers fired a round into the air.

  BANG!

  The elegant chandelier hanging from the ceiling disintegrated over the terrified crowd.

  The banquet hall erupted into a state of panic. Food and champagne glasses were discarded in the blink of an eye while people rushed towards the exit. So much for tight security, Ryan thought as he rushed towards Hampton and Elizabeth.

  “I’m warning you, old man, stand back or I’ll put a bullet in her head,” Chambers threatened.

  “I’m not going anywhere,” Hampton said. “Not until you let her go.”

  “Not gonna happen.” Chambers started back-pedalling towards the stairwell, keeping Elizabeth firmly in his grasp.

  “Explain yourself!” Commissioner Marshall bellowed. “Why would you betray your country like this?”

  Chambers stopped at the top of the stairwell. Blaze tried to get close in order to help Elizabeth.

  “Stay back!” Chambers waved the pistol in Blaze’s direction. “Stand together so I can keep an eye on all of you,” he ordered.

  Ryan, Sharon, Blaze, Trigger, and Commissioner Marshall huddled with Hampton. The banquet hall went from a sea of upper-class toffs to a barren room controlled by a gun-wielding maniac.

  “Why did I betray my country, you ask?” Chambers sniggered. “Because when I needed it most, my country let me down. My country betrayed me. When I returned from my second tour of Afghanistan, I’d been shot in the leg. I was flown back to base and patched up, then returned home to my wife. She took care of me, fussing over my every whim and need during my recovery. But the medical team botched up the procedure. And because of their shoddy work, the bone never fully healed. Then after I’d been honourably discharged from the military, I applied for a sickness benefit, but my application was declined. My injury prevented me from doing any meaningful work, so any half-decent job working in the field was a no go, and subsequently I was lumped with a desk job in a damp, musty basement in the police force, shuffling files like some errand boy. I was treated like scum. I gave up the ability to walk for the freedom of my country and allied nations. Putting it bluntly, I was shat on.”

  “You seem to be walking just fine.”

  “Fifteen years of rehab out of my own pocket, not a single dime reimbursed by the goddamn government. In their eyes I’d already been treated and had recovered sufficiently from my injury. Any further ailment was deemed as wear and tear, old age. To cap it off, no medical insurance provider would touch me. My injury was a giant smoke signal to run the other way. The same people I swore to serve and protect failed me.”

  “Cry me a fucking river,” Blaze blurted out.

  “Shut your goddamn mouth, boy. You’d be wise to remember whose life I hold in my hands.”

  Blaze decided it best to zip it.

  “And where does Maggie fit into all of this?” Hampton asked. “I knew you were the Jackal the moment you mentioned her name. The watch only confirmed it.”

  “How so?”

  “After you mistakenly referenced her name during your last holdup. The driver of the munitions truck said you referred to your weapon as Maggie, which tells me she’s of enormous significance. Maggie and your fine taste in men’s jewellery were ultimately your undoing.”

  Chambers fought off the frustration building in his mind. “Maggie was the most devoted wife a man could ask for. When I returned from my final tour, she cooked, cleaned, dressed me; hell, she even wiped my goddamn ass! And all without one complaint. Not one! She worked day and night to pay the bills after my service money dried up, washing people’s clothes, cleaning floors, waiting tables, until she got sick—probably from scrubbing some deadbeat’s shit stains from a toilet bowel. But she kept working—as was her stubborn resolve to get us out of the gutter—to the point she had to go see a doctor. They told her it was just a flu virus, you know, or your common cold. But she said it felt much worse than any cold or flu she’d ever had. She had no energy, sometimes struggled for breath. So, back to the doctors she went, and straight back home she came after they dismissed her symptoms for a second time. She pleaded for further tests, but she was denied because we didn’t have the funds to pay up front. ‘No insurance, no tests,’ was their response. A goddamn catch twenty-two. She died three days later. They said it was possibly pneumonia. They didn’t bother finding out for certain. It was deemed a waste of taxpayers’ money. So I vowed to get my revenge, to show the government that you can only push people so far. I worked my way up the ladder from the sewer all the way to being in the running to land on my feet as Police Commissioner. But then you got the job ahead of me after I’d already been assured the position. I was double-crossed, again. You took what was rightfully mine. “

  Commissioner Marshall scoffed. “Which is why you targeted me?”

  “Precisely.”

  “You self-righteous son of a bitch! You had no right!”

  “I had every right! We both know the significant benefits of being the top dog. Salary, medical plan, retirement funds, the whole kit and caboodle. It was destined to be mine. My country owes me!”

  “No it doesn’t! You’ve been stealing from your country for how long? The munition hijackings have been going on for quite some time now!”

  Chambers paused for a moment. Then he replied, “Do you know how costly rehab is? I barely had money to feed myself after Maggie died. What with my pitiful income and bills up to my neck, I couldn’t stay afloat. The hijackings tided me over while I got back on my feet. My team is comprised of men dealt the same bitter hand as I. We were careful not to over-extend ourselves, and we picked our targets carefully. Hence the intermittent attacks over the years.”

  “Are you seriously trying to justify your actions? Stealing from the same military you served? Funding your own personal greed?”

  “It’s not what you think. Well, yes, I did use the money to drag myself out of the gutter, and to remedy the botched surgery on my leg. Hell, I’ll even admit I bought a few items I’ve always desired. But believe me when I say that I’ll shoot you right now if you ever accuse me of personal greed. My team and I split the profits we make from Snatch and use the money to help others in the same situation. Soldiers with missing limbs, left to rot in tiny apartments with no income, no family, no support. Soldiers who fought for their country and were conveniently swept aside and sucked into the black hole of resentment, all while the top brass sit back in their cosy offices, on their glutenous salaries, attending pointless functions such as these, spinning nonsensical bullshit and pushing agendas. I climbed the ladder to make a difference, to make a change, to gain access to those in need, and you destroyed my vision.”

  “You’re nothing more than a common thief!” Commissioner Marshall shouted. “You had two men murdered in prison!”

  “Oh, please, Jerry. Don’t make out those criminal bikers were saints. They were wanted in
connection with your predecessor’s murder! You’re a hypocrite. The fact that Bobby Blaise is present tonight only proves you’re the wrong man for the job. You wine and dine him because of one good deed when he should be locked away in chains, never to see the light of day again!”

  “Enough!” Commissioner Marshall shouted, then paused. “Let Elizabeth go, and I’ll let you run,” he bargained.

  “Ha! Nice try, Jerry. But there’s enough security waiting down the bottom of those stairs to arrest a small village. Elizabeth’s coming with me.” He dug the barrel of the pistol deep into her temple. She startled trembling.

  Hampton couldn’t bear it any longer. “Let her go!” he pleaded. “Take me instead!”

  Chambers chuckled. “I don’t think so. You’ll keel over and die on me. And that’s not good for either of us.”

  Commissioner Marshall had heard enough. He had sworn to serve and protect, so he made an impulsive decision. He heroically made a run for Elizabeth.

  Chambers saw the sudden movement and pulled the pistol away from Elizabeth’s head, pointed it directly at the charging commissioner and pulled the trigger.

  BANG!

  Blaze instinctively dived in the commissioner’s path, colliding with him and taking the impact of the blast.

  The bullet ploughed deep into his ribcage.

  Blaze collapsed on the floor, coughing up blood and groaning in agony.

  Chambers stood there, in shock at Blaze’s display of courage. Elizabeth shook herself free just in time for Ryan to violently tackle Chambers to the ground, kick the gun away, and wrestle him into a submissive hold.

  Elizabeth and Sharon both screamed as Blaze fell, unconscious, drooping down in a pool of blood as it coursed from his side.

  “Someone call a fucking ambulance!” Trigger shouted anxiously.

  Hampton made the call.

  The security team took Chambers into custody while the emergency medical team sprinted up the stairs and desperately tried to stop the bleeding.