“What makes you think they’ve gone to the Glasgow compound?”
The smugness fled from his face. “What?”
“They’re currently searching your compound in Edinburgh.” She cocked her head to one side. “What will they find there Malachi?”
Rage slowly filled his eyes as the gravity of his situation dawned on him. With a roar he jumped to his feet and lunged for her. Cass raised the gun and fired, hitting him in the left shin.
Malachi dropped to the floor, rolling about in pain and screaming. Calmly she aimed the gun at his face.
“Where’s your god now?”
“Cass,” called a voice.
She looked round to see Christian, Elliott and Ross climbing onto the stage.
“He’s done,” said Elliott. “We’ll watch over him. Brodie needs you.”
She nodded, handed the weapon to Elliott and ran to Brodie’s side. “How is he?” she demanded of the paramedics.
“He’s lost a lot of blood and his BP’s dropping,” one of them told her. “Who’s coming with him to hospital?”
“I am,” Cass and Natalie said in unison before glaring at each other.
“I’m his fiancée,” said Cass.
“And I’m his sister,” countered Natalie.
The paramedics left them to argue it out as they placed Brodie on a stretcher.
“You go with him Cass,” said Christian. “We’ll bring Natalie along in the car.”
Cass nodded him her thanks before hurrying to follow as the paramedics carried Brodie down off the stage.
“But he’s my brother,” exclaimed Natalie. “This isn’t fair.”
“Oh aye?” said Christian. “When was the last time you visited your brother or even gave him a call? The last time he saw you it was here when you were telling the whole of Glasgow what a shitty person he is.”
Natalie hung her head. “I didn’t want to do it, I had no choice.”
Christian thawed to her slightly when she started to cry. “Come on, let’s get to the hospital so we can find out how the Bossman’s doing.”
CHAPTER 32
Pain.
The coppery tang of blood in the air.
Strange voices talking at him, the words scrambled and faraway.
One voice was clear though, soft and gentle.
Cass.
Darkness.
More strange voices.
Brodie managed to open his eyes. Relief flooded him.
“Hen,” he rasped, groping for her hand.
Warmth cradled his cold, weak hand, soothing him.
“I’m here Brodie,” said Cass. “You’ve had surgery and the operation was a success. Just rest babe. I’m right here with you.”
“Cass,” he breathed, eyes sliding shut again. His body was so heavy, as though it was weighed down. He felt to be sinking into the soft mattress.
More darkness.
There was a bang, pain shot through him, making him jolt. He groaned as an ache filled his back. He went still and the pain slowly retreated.
He opened his eyes and winced. The light seemed so bright and an unknown face was peering down at him, soft and round and framed with blond hair.
“Brodie?” said the face. “Are you back with us?”
“Cass?”
“She’s here.”
The nurse moved aside. Brodie smiled when Cass came into view. He tried to raise his hand to touch her pale, tired face but his arms felt like lead.
“Don’t move,” she told him. “You’re going to be okay but you’ll need to take it easy for a while.”
“Bastard Cain,” he mumbled.
“If it’s any consolation he’s in hospital too having his face stitched back together.”
“Good.” He forced his eyes open fully and looked around. He saw he was on a hospital ward with three other men. One appeared to be asleep, one was chatting to a visitor and the third was behind a blue curtain, the sound of excessive farting audible. “Well this is fucking marvellous,” he grumbled before grimacing.
“Are you okay?”
“Aye, fine. My back just hurts a bit.”
“You’re on a lot of painkillers, so they’ll keep the worst at bay.”
“How many did the bats kill?”
“Nine.”
“What?”
“And they injured another twelve.”
“Christ, we were too late.”
“If it hadn’t been for us that figure would have been a lot higher. And there’s some good news. Pete, Donaldson and Black got all the evidence they needed at the Edinburgh compound to shut down Higher Light for good.”
“What? That’s fucking brilliant.” He winced as he jolted his back in his excitement.
“I know this is going to be difficult for you babe,” she said, running her fingers through his hair. “But you need to stay still and quiet.”
“I’ll go insane.”
“Maybe but you need to try. You’ve been shot, so you’ve earned some rest.”
He touched her hand when tears filled her eyes. “I’m fine, don’t worry.”
“The scariest moment of my entire life was seeing you bleeding on the ground.”
“But the bastards still couldn’t get rid of me.”
“Thank God.”
“Malachi?”
“In hospital too. I shot him in the leg.”
“Good. If anyone deserves shooting, it’s him.”
“His disciples from the square won’t grass on him, as he predicted but it doesn’t matter thanks to Pete and the others. Already people are demanding Fredrick Dyke resigns because of his connection to the church and Brett Martins is being hounded by the press. There are rumours his studio’s going to drop him.”
“We warned the wallopers. Is Nat okay?”
“Fine. She’s waiting at the ward doors to see you. She’s really worried about you.”
“Really? I thought she wouldn’t gie’ a shite.”
“Course she does. She feels terrible about the stuff she said about you in George Square. She was forced to do it.”
“Tell her it’s okay, I understand. Did they hurt her?”
“They injected her with drugs but it seems she’s so used to them they had little effect. So they threatened her with a beating instead by Cain and Abel. But you can talk to her yourself about it, when you’re feeling up to it.”
“Christian and the others?”
“All fine. Some cuts and bruises, that’s all.”
“And the wee rat Mason?”
“In police custody too. He’s looking at some prison time for waving a gun around in a public place.”
“I’ll make sure my friends in Barlinnie gie’ him a rough time.”
Cass’s heart lifted to see the spark of rage ignite in Brodie’s amber eyes, which weren’t as brilliant as they normally were but his strength was still there.
“Where’s my ring gone?” he said, panic flooding his body when he saw it wasn’t on his left hand.
“Right here,” she replied, producing it from her pocket and placing it on his finger. “They had to remove it when you went into surgery.”
“That’s better,” he said, the sight of it back on his finger making him rest easier.
“You’ve got a line of visitors waiting to see you.”
“The only one I want is already here.”
She dipped her head to kiss him. “I can’t keep you all to myself and I need to tell Ricky what’s happened. Someone at the hospital let it slip about what happened at George Square. He’s managing to control his anger but he’s getting twitchy. His doctor asked me to go and talk to him, to let him know you’re okay. Natalie’s still in a state, so she’ll only freak him out.”
Brodie gazed at her, bursting with pride and love. He couldn’t believe she was thinking of Ricky’s wellbeing. For so long it had only been himself doing that.
“Pete’s going to come by as soon as he’s free,” she continued. “But he’ll be kept busy for a w
hile after the Edinburgh raid. He asked me to tell you that his thoughts are with you and that he hopes you’re not rolling around in pain like a big Jessie.”
Brodie chuckled and winced. “You can tell the lomper the only thing that hurts is his rotten patter.”
She kissed his hand. “We did it babe. It’s over. Higher Light is done.” She’d already decided not to tell him just yet that Eve had escaped. That could wait until he was feeling stronger. A police officer had been posted to guard the door to the ward just in case she decided to get some revenge.
“Thank Christ for that. Can we start planning our wedding now?”
“You bet we can. I’ll bring in some bridal magazines.”
“Nice one hen,” he said, eyes lighting up. “Wait, what about Elaine Mickleson?”
“It’s thanks to her the police found everyone who’d been shifted from the Glasgow compound. Malachi had stashed them at another secret compound in Giffnock that only the inner circle of the church knew about. She managed to escape a second time and alerted the authorities. Already plenty of parents and children have been reunited thanks to her.”
“Thank Christ. So she hadnae been brainwashed after all?”
“She had but with all the trouble going on they missed giving her a couple of doses of drugs, so she continued acting the part until she saw her moment to escape. Gardner’s already giving her exit counselling.”
“That’s great news hen.”
“It really is. You should know, with the help of some bats who wanted out of the church they located the burial site at the Edinburgh compound. They’ve found Mary. One of the bats was able to point out where he’d helped bury her.”
“Poor wee lassie,” he said sadly. “She was so brave.”
“She was but at least her family can have some peace now. Oh and Steven’s been reunited with his little sister. It was really sweet. Neither of them get on with their stepdad so they’ve decided to move away together.”
“And their bitch of a maw, Susan Silvers?” Just the woman’s name made him furious, this had all started because of her.
“She’s been arrested. Statements have already been given against her about the punishment she doled out in her role as head of The Office of Correction. They found fifteen people stuck in the Edinburgh Breach by the way. A couple of them were rushed to hospital suffering malnutrition after being denied food to drive out the devils. Susan’s being done for assault and GBH. It seems she enjoyed torturing people as much as Cain and Abel.”
“The twisted cow.”
“That woman who worked in the kitchens who attacked Mary - Barbara is she called?”
“Aye.”
“She’s being done for assault too. One of the charges is against Mary Strachan. Elaine’s willing to give evidence in court about what she suffered, she’s determined to get her justice.”
“She’s one brave lady too.”
The door opened and Natalie strode in. “I’ve waited long enough,” she declared. “I want to talk to my brother now.”
“Alright,” replied Cass, not looking her way. She planted a kiss on Brodie’s lips. “I’ve got a couple of errands to run babe after seeing Ricky then I’ll be back. I’ll pack a bag for you too, you’re going to be in here a few days.”
“But I want to go home.”
“You can, in a few days when you’re better. And behave for the doctors and nurses. I know how stubborn you can be. I want you out of here and back home as quickly as possible.”
“Working on it hen,” he said, smiling when she gave him another kiss.
She straightened up and scowled at Natalie. “Don’t wear him out.”
“You’re one to talk,” she retorted.
With another scowl, Cass left.
“When are you two going to get on?” Brodie asked his sister.
“Never because we can’t stand each other.”
“I don’t know why not, she’s an amazing woman.”
“You see, that’s exactly what I mean,” she snapped.
“Eh? What have I done?”
“You say she’s amazing but not me.”
“So that’s it. You’re jealous.”
“I am not,” she pouted.
“Aye ya are.”
“Don’t grin at me Brodie. I’m not in the fucking mood.” Vulnerability filled her eyes. “She saved my life.”
“And have you said thank you?”
“No.”
“Maybe you should? Treating other people like human beings gets you a long way.”
“If I do she’ll never let me live it down.”
“For Christ’s sake Nat, she’s gonnae be your sister-in-law. Try and get on with her, for me.”
“You sure you want to marry her?”
“You saw her in action today. What do you think?”
“I’ll try, that’s all I can promise. You scared the shit out of me today Brodie.”
“I wasnae too happy about it myself.”
“You took a bullet for me.”
“Seemed only fair after I shot you when the Creegans sent that assassin after you.”
“I know you only did that to save my life, which you did. I love you Brodie,” she sobbed, hugging him.
Brodie bit down on his lower lip so he wouldn’t cry out against the pain when his sister hugged him. This was a rare event.
“I didn’t want to say all those horrible things about you but they made me,” she continued. “I could hear myself talking but I couldn’t stop. It was like it was happening to someone else. Then the drugs they gave me wore off and I felt like shit. I’ve done a deal with a major newspaper to tell my story, so everyone will know all that stuff I said about you in George Square was bullshit.”
“It’s alright, I understand. Don’t worry your heid about it doll, although I do appreciate you doing that interview and you could do with the cash. Just make sure you milk the bastards dry.”
“So you forgive me?”
“Course I do. Me, you and Ricky are the last of our family. We have to stick together.”
“Soon there’ll be Cass too,” she added, unable to keep the dourness out of her voice.
“Yes there will, so the sooner you accept her the better. Nothing is stopping me from marrying that goddess, especially no’ you throwing a wobbly.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” she said, holding up her hands.
“If you want to make it up to me there is one thing you can do.”
“I am not being Cass’s bridesmaid.”
“Good because she’s no gonnae ask you. You can go and see Ricky at the home. He’s been so much better these last few months. He’s good company and you can have a laugh with him, which is more than I can say about you.”
“Charming,” she muttered, folding her arms across her chest.
“He misses you. Just visit him.”
“Alright,” she sighed. “I will.”
“Good. Have you spoken to the polis yet?”
She nodded. “They took my statement while I was waiting to see you. They want me to give evidence at Malachi’s trial.”
“Are you going to?”
“I suppose I should although I’ve heard there are so many witnesses now they might not need me. Personally I hope the bastard croaks it in Bar-L before he gets inside a courtroom. He’ll end up hypnotising the bloody jury and get off Scot-free.”
Brodie thought of Toni McVay and the burning desire for vengeance she must be experiencing. He had no doubt Malachi would not make it to trial.
Natalie looked to the door when it opened a crack and Ross’s head peeked through it. “Can we come in now?”
“You can,” said Natalie. “I’m off. I need a big drink and an early night.”
“And stay off the drugs,” Brodie told her. “You hear me Nat?”
“Loud and clear. The methadone’s doing its job, so don’t worry. I’m getting clean.”
“You’d better because I want you at that wedding.”
“I’ll be there. Where are you having it?”
“At Ricky’s hospital.”
“Are you serious? You’re getting married in an insane asylum?”
“It is not an asylum, it’s a hospital.”
“What does your precious Cass have to say about it?”
“It was her idea. It’s the only way Ricky can be there on our big day. Go on, admit it,” he grinned. “She’s impressed you.”
“She impressed me when she saved my life.”
“Then tell her.”
“Don’t nag me Brodie, I’m knackered.” She kissed his cheek. “Get better you old sod.”
“I am not old,” he told her as she left.
Elliott, Christian and Ross gathered around his bedside. Brodie was exhausted but he forced himself to smile at them. It was the very least they deserved. “It’s good to see you all safe lads. Bloody well done. You’ll all get bonuses for this.”
“No need Bossman,” said Elliott. “You save your cash and take Cass somewhere really special for your honeymoon.”
“Hey, shut it you,” Ross told him. “I want a bonus.”
“You’re getting the bonuses, don’t worry,” said Brodie. “Now I want you all to sod off.”
“Oh charming,” said Christian.
“Hear me out. You don’t want to be stuck in this dump staring at an old git lying on his back. Get yourselves off. Elliott, go and spend some time with Morgan and Noah. Christian, go on one of your many dates. Ross, do whatever geeky, unspeakable stuff you enjoy of an evening. Forget about all this shite for a wee while and have some bloody fun. You’ve earned it.”
They left after ten minutes, all three of them full of self-congratulatory ardour and high on relief.
The ordeal was over.
“Will you stop moaning Brodie?” said Cass as she helped him through the front door of their home, which had been restored to normal, everything fixed after the bats had vandalised it. “You’re the most miserable patient ever.”
“I am not,” he retorted. “I’m a delight.”
“Compared to what?”
“Charming. I’ll go back to the hospital, shall I? At least there I was appreciated.”
The Devil Inside Page 45
