Assassin 3 - The Wrong Man (Assassin Series)

by Bryan Murray

  “Yes,” Jake replied. “I’m the grandson of the sweet, old lady you murdered, you hyena and now you’re going to die, but before you do, I want some information?”

  Flanagan was a defiant man, used to the violent side of life. “Fuck you!” he snarled.

  Without warning, Jake aimed downwards and shot off Flanagan’s knee cap. The Irishman howled in pain as Jake looked down at him mercilessly. “Well, maybe you’ll change your mind as we go. Let’s face it, you’ve got one knee cap left and two elbows, I guess that’ll do for a start. So, here’s the first question. How do I find Mickey?”

  Flanagan was still howling in pain. “I don’t know, I swear it!”

  Jake took aim at his other knee cap. “I’m going to count to three. One, two....”

  Flanagan interrupted him. “Wait, wait, he always called me. I checked once, it was a Belfast number, but I never made a note of it.”

  Jake was trying to control his rage. “And how did they know about my family?”

  Flanagan was trying to cooperate. “They said they paid a PI to track you and your family down, even knew where the old lady went every day.”

  “And that’s how you knew she’d be at the choir practice?”

  “I guess,” Flanagan was a beaten man. “How d’you find me?”

  Jake looked venomous. “Next time you stay in a village pub, don’t be an asshole to the landlord. He’s the one who remembered your credit card receipt.” Jake suddenly slapped himself on the forehead. “What’s wrong with me, there won’t be a next time!”

  He raised his gun and shot Flanagan between the eyes as the Irishman fell to the floor in a pool of blood, Jake put the gun away and looked heavenwards. “That was for you, Nan!”

  He made his way to the door and just as he was about to leave, the phone rang. Jake thought a moment and then picked it up. He put his handkerchief over the mouthpiece and answered. “Yeah?” it was his best imitation of Flanagan’s voice.

  A voice came on the line. “Dat you, Damien?”

  Jake answered again in the same gruff voice. “Yeah.”

  The voice answered. “Dis is Mickey, just wanted to let you know I mailed de payment to you dis mornin’. You should get it in a day or two!”

  Jake removed his handkerchief from the phone. “I’m afraid Flanagan won’t be needing the money!” he replied.

  Mickey sounded surprised. “Why not an’ who de fuck are you?”

  “Because he’s dead.” Jake replied “And I’m your worst fuckin’ nightmare, Jake Harrigan, you asshole and you can tell your boss I’m coming!”

  Mickey was clearly in shock. “Fuck you!” he slammed down the phone and looked at Quinn standing next to him. “Holy Jaysus, Sean!”

  “What was it?” Quinn licked his lips nervously.

  “Dat was Harrigan, he said to tell you he was comin’ after us!”

  “You mean he’s at de hit man’s place?”

  “Yeah, de hit man’s dead already, Sean!”

  Quinn was collecting his thoughts. “Okay, Harrigan’s at de hit man’s place. Quick, go to de pay phone down de street, dial 999 an’ give dem de address. Tell ‘em day’ll find Harrigan dere wid anudder victim, den haul ass back here. Don’t give your name!”

  “Yes, boss,” Mickey replied. “Den what?”

  Quinn was already packing his gear. “Den we head straight for St. Bride’s Bay an’ dat motor launch had better be on time!”

  * * *

  Mickey made the anonymous call and within seconds MI5 clicked into top gear and squads of Special Branch personnel and local police were already converging on the address in Stroud given by Mickey.

  Additional road blocks were already being set up and back at MI5 headquarters in London, Hargreaves was at the crisis desk running the operation, trying to guess Jake’s next move on a large map.

  * * *

  When Jake got back to the car outside Flanagan’s home, Sarah was sitting there nervously, the engine running, and a curious look on her face. Jake climbed in next to her. “Let’s get out of here fast!”

  She looked at him. “Was he the guy?”

  “You bet,” Jake replied “And ‘was’ is the operative word!”

  They were leaving the area quickly as Sarah continued. “So, you did what needed to be done, Jake?”

  He nodded affirmatively. “Can you believe it, they paid him ten grand to kill Nan!”

  “Who are they?” she asked.

  “Those bastards in RIRA that we heard were involved in the bank heist earlier!”

  She looked at him. “So, why are we rushing?”

  Jake looked at her. “Because as I was leaving, this guy Mickey called to tell Flanagan his money was in the mail. He freaked out when I answered and told him Flanagan was dead and that I was coming after him!”

  Sarah was already ahead of him. “And that’s when you realized they would tell the law where we were?”

  He gave a wry smile. “Exactly!”

  Even as they spoke, two police cars sped past them in the opposite direction towards Flanagan’s home. Jake looked at Sarah. “Damn, these Brits are good!”

  She looked at him. “So, what do we do now?”

  He thought for a moment. “Let’s head back towards where Gramps is. It’s on the way west and my guess is that one way or another we’re goin’ to end up in Northern Ireland,” he was already punching data into the GPS. “I haven’t a clue what address to enter.” he sighed.

  She smiled. “Try the main street in some Welsh coastal town, that’s a start.”

  “Good idea.” he quickly entered the details for the first city that came to mind and stuck the GPS back on the windshield.

  * * *

  Outside Flanagan’s home, police cars were converging from all directions, lights flashing as Special Branch Officers with clubs and protective shields, others with assault rifles, all rushed into the home.

  Inside the home, the first arrivals saw Flanagan dead on the floor in a pool of blood, a note on his chest that read ‘This is the terrorist assassin who murdered Edith Donovan after being paid by the RIRA’.

  The Senior Officer was already on the phone to Hargreaves in London. “No, he’s not here, sir, but he left a note on the body.”

  “What did it say?” Hargreaves was mad.

  “It said the corpse at the scene was the terrorist assassin who murdered Harrigan’s grandmother, sir. We must have only missed him by minutes as the blood is still flowing!”

  Hargreaves was really angry now. “This is unbelievable! Intensify the road blocks, we mustn’t let them escape this time,” he carried on thinking aloud. “My God, so Harrigan is mopping up as he goes. This chap has some balls, believe me. Stopping to take out the man he claims killed his grandmother while we’re still hunting him down! Keep me posted?” he went off the line.

  The Senior Officer turned to see one of his men escorting an old Man towards him. “Excuse me, sir,” the young Officer began “But this man says he saw a car parked outside the house a short while ago!”

  The Senior Officer looked at the Man. “When did you see the car, sir?” he asked

  The Man was old but he certainly had all his faculties about him. “Oh, it left about fifteen minutes or so ago, I’d say.”

  “What kind of a car was it, sir?” the Senior Officer asked, not expecting a realistic answer, but he was pleasantly surprised.

  “It was a white Audi 2011 A8!”

  The Senior Officer’s eyes shot open. “Are you sure, sir?”

  “Positive,” the old Man replied. “Used to have a red one just like it!”

  “Did you see the person driving it?”

  “Not real clearly, but it was a man, tallish, dark hair.”

  The Senior Officer held up his hand. “Just a second, sir.” he clicked on his intercom and asked to be connected to Senior Civil Servant Hargreaves.

  Hargreaves came on the line again. “Yes, is this urgent?”

  The Senior Officer looked skyw
ards as if to say ‘Of course it is, you idiot’, before he replied. “Yes, sir, I think we have an eye witness to the car that Harrigan was driving. It’s a 2011 white Audi A8. He can’t be more than 15 minutes away, so you need to let all the road block patrols know.”

  Hargreaves was pleased. “Thank you.” he clicked off and set the wheels in motion, everybody now looking for a white Audi A8. He looked out of the window, a wry smile on his face. “My God, this chap changes cars more frequently than I change socks!” he murmured.

  CHAPTER 21

  Jake and Sarah drove along trying to keep to the side roads and they were now heading northwest. Traffic had been normal, but in the past few minutes they had seen more police cars in the surrounding area than usual.

  Sarah looked at Jake. “D’you think they’re on to us with all these police cars buzzing around?”

  Jake smiled reassuringly. “I doubt it, since nobody knows what we’re driving.” Little did he know!

  She didn’t look convinced. “I hope you’re right!’

  When they came around the next bend in the road, he realized just how big a mistake he had made by telling Mickey where he was, when he saw the road block ahead, searching all vehicles.

  What he hadn’t realized was that Hargreaves and his team had checked all stolen vehicle reports in the area and one had come in of a stolen Audi A8 from the same location where they had received a report that the stolen beamer that Jake had left behind had been found. He was also not aware that this had also been corroborated after he had been spotted by a nosy neighbor outside Flanagan’s house. So now, MI5 knew both their vehicle and their license number.

  The officers at the road block up ahead were scrutinizing the approaching traffic through binoculars and the Officer using the binoculars gave a start when he suddenly saw a white Audi turn left out of the column of cars and head up a side road. He quickly turned to two motor cycle cops next to him pointing up the road. “Quick, up there, a white Audi just turned left, check it out!”

  The two Cops kick-started their machines and roared up the road to the turn off that Jake had just taken.

  Up the side road, Jake was suddenly horrified to see that it was as dead end as he screamed to a stop and performed the swiftest three point turn in his life before roaring back towards the line of traffic waiting to hit the road block. Within seconds, the two motor cycle cops skidded into the lane and were heading straight for him.

  “Oh shit?” he looked ahead and turned to Sarah. “Check your seat belt. Hold tight, it’s chicken time!”

  She looked at him. “Chicken time? Oh, my God!” she suddenly realized what Jake meant as he put his foot down and headed straight for the two motor cycle cops. Luckily, they were country cops and not accustomed to high speed chases and they both chickened out as Jake roared towards them, each landing in the shallow ditch at their side of the road.

  Sarah opened her eyes. “I don’t believe this!” she screamed as they were now reaching the line of traffic still waiting to go through the road block. Jake spotted an opening as the cars started to move forward and he pushed through, scraping the Audi on both sides, before turning right and driving away from the road block, just as another police car was coming to check on the motor cycle cops.

  When he spotted the angry motorists whose cars Jake had scraped past, shaking their fists angrily at the departing Audi, the shocked Driver then set his sights on Jake and with lights flashing and sirens wailing, he continued in pursuit.

  By the most amazing coincidence, sitting further back in the line of cars approaching the road block, was a red VW Passat rental car and the couple at the wheel realized immediately what was going on. CIA assassins Steve Bessemer and Jane Oxley looked at each other in shock at their unbelievable luck.

  “Bingo! Did you see what I just saw?” Steve screamed at Jane as he quickly pulled out of the line of cars and followed the police car chasing Jake. He was already listening to the police radio band concerning the chase now starting after Jake

  In the police car ahead, the Officer was already on the intercom. “This is C29, come in?”

  A voice answered. “Come in C29?”

  The Officer continued. “I am in pursuit of white Audi A8 with matching license plates to the wanted vehicle. Request assistance now?”

  The voice answered. “Roger, C29, what’s your location?”

  The Officer quickly took in his surroundings. “Heading west on the A40, just passing Malvern Street.”

  The voice answered. “Roger that over and out.”

  Within seconds, further police cars converged into the chase, rapidly following the initial police car and passing the red VW Passat as Steve slowed down discreetly, but continued to keep the fast-paced convoy ahead in sight.

  * * *

  In Jake’s car, he was staying ahead of the police, thanks to the get up and go power of the Audi and he was praying that there would be no traffic lights or other road blocks ahead.

  If anything, he was gaining ground on the police, particularly when he quickly squeezed around a large, extremely wide farm vehicle almost blocking the busy road that the police had to stay behind, even though their lights were flashing and he was now opening up a considerable gap, his mind working overtime.

  Sarah was sitting silently next to him, inwardly relieved that Jake had insisted on taking the wheel once they had got clear of Flanagan’s home.

  He looked across at her and managed a thin smile, his eyes now back on the road. “Just another day at the office, any ideas?”

  Sarah looked in the rear view mirror to see that they were still gaining ground on the police, silently hoping that there were no choppers in the air already. “We need to lose these wheels and fast, Jake. Somehow they must have got a make on this vehicle!”

  “Exactly what I was thinking.” he replied. He looked up ahead and he could see around a slight bend in the road ahead that there was a road on the left with a gas station about fifty yards in from the road they were driving on. He took a quick look at the road behind to see that the police were still not in sight, took a sharp left turn and drove into the gas station, parking the Audi out of sight from the road they had been on.

  He turned to Sarah. “Quick, grab the GPS, I’ve got the gun, the first person who comes out after paying for gas, we steal their car. Whaddya think?”

  She was thinking fast. “Definitely a boy scout. No shooting, right?”

  He nodded affirmatively.

  “Okay, let’s do it!” she replied

  The next lady who emerged from the shop of the gas station, was still putting her credit card away and getting out her car keys as she walked towards the blue Jaguar XF still parked at the pump.

  As she approached the car, keys in hand, Jake smoothly appeared from nowhere and took them from her as she looked on in shock. “Don’t worry, ma’am,” he whispered. “Just borrowing it!” he climbed in the car and closed the door.

  Sarah had already climbed into the passenger seat as Jake drove off with the woman still standing there in shock. It had taken just a few seconds.

  Jake drove quickly back to the road they had just left and he could see the tail end of the line of police cars, lights still flashing, trundling along behind the farm vehicle ahead in view of the heavy, oncoming traffic. He had already decided to turn right, away from the police convoy and he looked at the passing traffic going the other way, which included a red VW Passat that was following the police convoy.

  It was as the driver of the VW went past, his eyes on the road ahead, that Jake’s eyes in turn almost popped out of his head. He couldn’t believe that he actually recognized the driver! It was Steve Bessemer with a woman beside him who he also recognized in that split second as they went past. It was Jane Oxley! What the hell were they doing here?

  His mind was now made up and instead of turning right, he turned left and followed the red VW, allowing a car to get between them. “My God!” was all he could gasp.

  “What is it?” Sar
ah asked. “Are you going the right way?”

  He pointed incredulously ahead. “That red car ahead!”

  “I see it?” Sarah answered.

  “You’re never gonna believe who’s driving it?” he gasped.

  “Probably not, but I’m sure you’re going to get round to telling me?”

  “Steve Bessemer, a CIA ‘black-ops’ assassin and there was a woman with him, Jane Oxley, another goddamned assassin!”

  Now it was Sarah’s turn to be in shock. “You’re not serious?”

  “As a heart attack,” Jake answered “Now, what the hell are they doing here, tailing a police squad who are tailing me?”

  “Good question,” Sarah replied. “First of all, how could they have known we were going to hit that road block when we did?”

  Jake was also thinking fast. “There’s no way! They must have stumbled on the action unless they were already following us, in which case what the hell are they doing over here?”

  “Just what I was thinking,” Sarah replied. “You say they’re both assassins?”

  “Ruthless bastards, the pair of them!” he answered.

  Up ahead, the traffic started to slow down momentarily and they saw that the police convoy had pulled off the road, scratching their heads as to where their prey could have disappeared to. But up ahead, the red VW carried on as Jake and Sarah continued to keep them in sight. When they drove past the police cars, they never gave Jake and Sarah a second glance.

  “Looks like the cops gave up,” Jake smiled. “But by now that lady outside the garage will be screaming blue murder and the cops will find the Audi, put two and two together and then these wheels will be the new flavor of the month!”

  Sarah nodded in agreement. “Correct. You know this CIA thing bothers me, Jake.”

  He was in agreement. “Me too. I mean here we are, running for our lives, five thousand miles from home, we’re Public Enemies One and Two worldwide and here in jolly old England, there are two bad-assed CIA assassins on our tail and one thing I can tell you for sure!”

  “What’s that?”

  “They’re not here to help us!”

  Sarah continued thinking as they drove along. “You know, when you think about it, Jake, even though we have some kind of protection insurance in place to deter the CIA from going after us, particularly after the ‘Mad Dog’ thing, are you thinking what I’m thinking?”