Stone Cold

by J. D. Weston

  “That’s great, Melody. How are you getting back to the office?”

  "I'll work it out, call if you need anything else. There's a Range Rover out front, hit the alarm button on the fob, and you'll find it." She walked away and cruised back the way she came. The same heads turned, and the same eyes followed her gentle and confident bounce through the out-patients foyer.

  Melody left the building and climbed into a black Volkswagen Transporter van. Denver Cox pulled the vehicle away from the hospital slowly. In the back was Reg Tenant whose face was lit by the laptop on his lap and the screen that sat on a small bench in front of him.

  “Okay, we have a connection on the phone,” said Reg.

  “Right, let’s hole up somewhere and wait for him to leave. He looked about ready to go when I left him.”

  Denver parked up in a lay-by on the road that led into Epping town centre. He kept the vehicle running to keep them warm, and so that the equipment in the back wouldn't run on the battery for too long.

  They watched on the screen as the phone icon made its way to the car icon on the map, and both icons moved off together. A separate window on the screen allowed Reg to see what was displayed on Frank's phone. They saw that he was searching for hotels off the M11 in Cambridgeshire. They waited five minutes after the Range Rover had passed, then moved off. There was no need to tail the boss directly, they could afford to hang back and be guided by technology.

  They found the hotel and parked discreetly away from the Range Rover. Night fell, and Denver walked across to the nearby petrol station to buy them pastries, coffee and water. Reg slept, and Melody Mills watched the door of the hotel.

  “What do think he’s up to, Melody?” asked Denver. “It’s not like him to be so radio silent is it?”

  “He only does this when he’s onto something,” said Melody. She didn’t mention that Frank usually did a disappearing act when he was in the middle of something bad. The last time he’d acted this way had involved Terry Thomson, and Frank had been twitchy and grouchy for weeks after.

  15

  The Drop

  Shaun stepped out of his room shortly after waking. For the first time since his arrival, he made tea. Hearing voices in the office next door, he made four cups, hoping to please Rob, Lenny and the old man, whose name Shaun had still not learned.

  He knocked and walked into the office to find all three men stood by the desk. They all looked up as he entered.

  “Tea?” he said, proud of himself.

  "Now that's what I call cognitive thinking, well done, Shaun," said the old man, who was in a slightly jovial mood. But Shaun sensed that it was a front. He'd heard them talk about his son dying. He knew the funeral was soon. Shaun thought that deep down the old man was less than jovial.

  “Where should I put them?”

  Lenny reached out, took a cup and passed it to the old man before reaching back and taking one for himself. Rob took one for himself and left Shaun holding the tray with both hands, unable to get his own from it. His nerves began to kick in, and he spilt the tea on the tray.

  “Stick it on the table over there, Shaun,” Lenny said, helpfully. The opportunity for a barrage of insults was there, but the men were clearly not in the insulting mood.

  Shaun picked up his tea and joined them at the desk.

  “What do you want?” asked Rob.

  “I…I thought we were planning.”

  “Yeah, we are planning, you don't need to plan, all you need to do is-”

  “Easy, Robby. The bloke just made you a cup of tea, play nicely,” the older man interjected.

  “Shaun, squeeze in, mate,” said the old man, “you’re going to need to know this more than any of us anyway.” Shaun moved to a space around the table. “Right, the drop is at six o’clock. Lenny, talk me through the sequence of events.”

  “We’ll arrive at five o’clock. Rob and me will get out and walk through the trees in case Cartwright’s lot are already there hiding in the trees. Shaun will take the van in on his own. Rob and me will find-”

  “Rob and I, Lenny. Its Rob and I,” said Terry.

  “Rob and you, boss?” said Lenny, confused.

  “No, its English, Lenny, it’s not Rob and me, it’s Rob and I.”

  "Right, okay, so Rob and I will find somewhere out of eyesight to keep an eye on things. If things go well, Shaun will drop the stuff and get the money, and we'll be waiting on the road when he pulls out."

  “What if things don’t go well?”

  “Rob and… I will be in a good place to step in and take them out.”

  "I do not want a full-scale war with the Cartwrights, Lenny. He's a clever man and can throw a lot of spanners in a lot of works; I do not have time to cock about. I'm burying my son in two days, the last thing I need is for that to come on top; there'll be old bill everywhere anyway, they love a good funeral, sick bastards."

  "We won't start shooting unless it looks like they're pulling one over on us," finished Lenny.

  “Shaun, talk me through it,” said Terry, moving his attention to the wiry, nervous kid.

  “I’ll drop Rob and Lenny off before the car park, then drive in alone.”

  “Good, then what?”

  “I’ll turn the van around, so I’m facing the exit like Lenny told me to.”

  “Good.”

  “Then I’ll wait.”

  “Okay, what happens if a nosy policeman comes sniffing around?”

  “I’ll tell him that I’m a delivery driver and just stopped for a break or something.”

  “Have you got your driver’s license on you?”

  “Yeah, it’s…” Shaun reached for his wallet in his pocket, removed his license, then Lenny took it from him, snapped it in half and tossed the two halves in the waste bin behind Terry.

  “Don't be stupid, Shaun. You’re all over the news, you’re on the run,” said Lenny.

  "Lenny's right, Shaun. You show a copper that licence and not only will you be nicked for being the dirty, little nonce you are, but they'll also be slapping a fair chunk of time on you for what’s in the back of the van." The old man opened the desk drawer to his right and pulled out a wallet. "This, is your wallet, throw the other one away."

  Shaun opened his wallet again and began to search inside, but Lenny took it from him and tossed it in the bin with the license. He then took the new wallet from Terry and passed it to Shaun.

  “What are you going to do if the Cartwrights are already there?”

  “How do you mean?”

  “Well if they are already there and they’ve presumably turned around so that they are facing the exit, what are you going to do?”

  “Reverse up to them?”

  "No, turn around as well, then pull alongside them, it'll be further for them to carry the crate, but that’s not your problem," said Rob. “Whatever happens, you need to be parked facing your exit.”

  “Right,” said Shaun.

  “So, you’re now all parked up, and they’re there, now what?”

  “I show them the crate?”

  “Exactly. Open the doors and step back. Let them work it out. You want to know why?”

  “Why?”

  "Because, Shaun, if I wanted a load of guns and didn't really want to pay, and if the dopey bloke I was buying them off climbed into the back of the van willingly, I'd shut the doors on him, drive him somewhere and have the lot for nothing. They'd have the van, the money and the guns, Shaun."

  “Right.”

  “Then what?”

  “They open the crate, have a look, give me the money, then move the crate.”

  “Good boy, Shaun.”

  “Any questions?”

  “No.”

  “Good, one more thing, Lenny, Rob. I’ve arranged to have a little bit of security attend. He won’t get involved, but he will sit and watch. Don’t do anything stupid, just do what you have to do, and everything will be fine,” said Terry. “Shaun?”

  “Yeah?”

  “
Don’t yeah me, Shaun.”

  “Sorry.”

  “As soon as the deal is done, you need to get your pervy little backside out of there, I’ve got a little something planned for Cartwright’s boys.”

  Harvey took the ride up to Cambridgeshire slowly, keeping Julios in his mirror and signalling well in advance. He took the exit off the motorway to the drop, and rode slowly through the lane, over the bridge and along the narrow strait that led to the blind corner and then the clearing where the deal would take place. Around two hundred yards from the blind corner, Harvey spotted a gap in the trees on the left. He pulled over and slowed, motioning for Julios to pull alongside.

  “Take the bend slowly and pull into the clearing on the left,” he told Julios. Harvey rode on into the trees, found a space to park the bike, turned it around and covered it with branches from nearby trees.

  He walked through the trees slowly and quietly and came upon the clearing to find Julios sitting in the van. He'd already turned it around and parked out of sight from any passers-by on the road. Somebody would have to pull into the space to know they were there.

  Darkness fell like the flicking of a switch.

  Harvey climbed into the passenger seat. The two men sat in silence. After an hour, Harvey got out and stretched. Julios followed him and made his way to the trees. He began a walk around the perimeter. Harvey saw him note the view of the road through the trees and mark the spots in the clearing where the road was not visible. The van was in one of the spots where the road was clearly visible, meaning the van was also visible from the road.

  “John was asking about you,” Julios began.

  “What was he asking?”

  “He’s just concerned. You keep asking him about your parents.”

  “He knows something.”

  “That’s not my concern.”

  “Tell me, Julios. Was you around when they found us?”

  “I was, you know I was.”

  “Where did they find us?”

  “What did John tell you?”

  “That’s not what I asked.”

  “What did he tell you?”

  “In his bar, after closing, we were in a booth. I was in a hamper, and Hannah sat beside me.”

  “Then you know. Stop chasing nothing. It’s clouding your judgment.”

  “It’s not the full story,” said Harvey.

  “I know nothing more,” Julios attempted to end the conversation, but Harvey had caught the thread between his teeth.

  “You too? I thought I could at least count on you?”

  “You can count on me, as you have always done, to keep you alive,” Julios snapped.

  “You know something?”

  “I know that if you do not get your head out of ancient history and into the game here, we will be both be killed. Snap out of it,” Julios ordered and slid out of the van.

  A black Range Rover drove past along the road as Julios walked around to the front of the van. It slowed for the bend and then crawled along the lane. The driver craned his head to peer through the trees at the van as he passed, then accelerated away. Julios looked back at Harvey.

  “Recognise him?” asked Julios.

  “I didn't see his face,” replied Harvey joining Julios in front of the van.

  “One hour.”

  They drove in silence with Shaun in the middle. The heavy box in the back of the van notably weighed it down, and also weighed heavy on Shaun's mind. He was in way over his head. What had happened to his life? He'd had a job, wasn't rich but he was stable. What had gone wrong? He knew what had gone wrong, he'd let his perverse inner self out of its cage. Now he found himself sitting in between two hardened criminals, in a van full of guns, heading towards a gun deal with more hardened villains.

  They pulled off the motorway and into the lane. There was a black Range Rover parked up on the right with one man inside.

  “Did you see that, Rob?” asked Lenny.

  “Yeah, do you think it’s Cartwrights’s surprise, the boss was talking about?”

  "I hope so," replied Lenny. A few hundred yards on, he said, "Shaun, I'm stopping here, do you remember everything we told you?"

  “Drive the van in, turn around, show them the box, take the money and drive off.”

  Lenny pulled over to the side of the lane, opened the door and got out. Rob slipped out of the passenger seat, and Shaun shuffled over to the driver's seat. Rob and Lenny were out of sight by the time he was comfortable. His heart was thumping, and his clammy hands slid on the gear stick as he selected first. He revved harder than needed, he wasn’t used to the van's pedals. He pulled off, selected second gear and juddered around the bend. He rolled into the clearing, which he thought was empty at first until he saw the white van on the right as he pulled in further. He turned too soon, not accounting for the size of the vehicle he was driving, and had to reverse up alongside the other van. He waited for the two men to come to him. Instead, they just stood looking at him.

  Shaun tried not to look scared, this was just another day. He thought that if he looked tough, he’d get away with this just fine. The two men just stared.

  The black Range Rover pulled into the clearing moments later, drove past the two suspicious looking vans and turned behind them, it reversed parked and sat facing the backs of the vehicles. From his side mirror, Shaun could see only one headlight of the Range Rover, but not the driver. Shaun stepped from the van.

  “Are we doing this or what?” he asked.

  16

  The Devil Shows his Face

  “I knew it,” said Harvey, “they’re up to something.”

  Julios looked at him.

  “That’s my target,” Harvey’s eyes followed Shaun as he turned the van and reversed up alongside theirs.

  “We’re here for the guns, keep your little hobby out of this.”

  “What the hell is he doing here, unless they were planning-”

  “Did you hear me, Harvey? Stay professional. You can have your fun later.”

  The anger and adrenaline that fueled Harvey's sport had already been released into his system. His blood was now rich with the chemicals that kept a man alive. His senses heightened and the veins on his temple pulsed.

  “Harvey.”

  Then the black Range Rover that had driven past earlier pulled into the clearing, drove past Harvey, Julios and the two vans, and reverse parked behind them. Nobody got out of the SUV. Its windows were tinted dark, so Harvey couldn’t even see how many were inside.

  “Who do you think that is?” asked Harvey.

  “Back up for the boy.”

  Harvey looked, but couldn't see a face through the Range Rover’s dark glass.

  “You watch the Range Rover, I’ll check the guns,” said Harvey, getting his head back into the game.

  The driver’s door opened on the other van, and the target stepped down to the ground. “Are we doing this or what?” the young guy said, his voice weak with fear.

  Harvey walked between the vehicles and opened the rear doors of the boy's van. The crate was the same one he'd seen in the garage of the farm, he wasn't surprised. He pulled his knife from his jacket, and the boy's eyes widened a little before he caught himself and controlled them. Julios joined them at the back of the van and positioned himself where he could see both the boy and the Range Rover. He'd pulled the handgun from his waist and let it hang at his side in clear view. A warning to whoever it was in the car.

  Harvey prised open the lid of the crate, letting it fall to the floor with a deafening boom like a bass drum. He reached in and pulled out a Heckler and Koch MP-5, checked the serial numbers were gone, tested the action and slotted one of the magazines in and out.

  "They're new. They're clean," he called out to Julios.

  "Okay, move them out," said Julios.

  “I need the money first,” Shaun blurted out. His voice wavered, “You can’t take them until you give me the money.”

  Harvey stepped down with the rifle in his hands
, opened the door to his own van and laid the gun down at one end of the thick blanket that was neatly laid out ready inside. He turned back to Shaun, "Are you going to help or are you going to just stand there?"

  Shaun returned his look but did not speak. He took a step back. His eyes darted from the van to the trees behind Julios, where he hoped Lenny and Rob would be, and suddenly felt very alone, "I need the money."

  Harvey took a step toward Shaun, slowly. His eyes peered into Shaun’s, and he took another step. Harvey’s boots stopped close to the ends of Shaun’s trainers, and he looked down at the boy.

  “Now now,” Julios said, cautioning Harvey, “Play nicely.”

  Harvey’s face was close to Shaun’s, who stood with wide fearful eyes. Harvey reached behind him into the waistband of his cargo pants. Shaun closed his eyes. Harvey hesitated, then pulled a thick envelope out between them. He shoved it into Shaun’s chest and followed through with a hard shove which forced Shaun to step back. Harvey’s eyes never left Shaun’s. But Shaun’s eyes darted from Harvey to Julios, to the trees and then back to Harvey.

  "Come on, let's get this done," Julios said. Harvey stepped away.

  “You stay there,” Harvey pointed at Shaun. He turned to Julios, “If he moves, take him down.”

  Harvey stepped up into the van, pulled out two of the guns and began to transfer them two at a time. The final one was lifted and added to the line of automatic rifles. They had the distinctive smell of gun oil, a smell Harvey enjoyed. He rolled the blanket on top of the guns to stop them sliding around.

  Harvey slammed the rear doors of his own van, locked them, gave Shaun a final warning look and stepped around to the passenger seat. "Let's go," he called to Julios, "We're done here." He reached over and started the van, then looked across at Shaun who had quickly climbed into the driver's seat of his vehicle and was fumbling for the ignition. He glanced back at Harvey nervously, and looked away again as he turned the key, eager to leave.

  The first gunshot cut through the air, the second was so fast it could have been an echo.