Vigilante

by Brian Cain

CHAPTER FOUR

  Work had come in from Canberra and Stanton knew he was late attending to it due to the unexpected problems with Fong, he approached things on a can do basis, fret and panic he found dangerous. It was past midday when Stanton opened his post office box and took out a yellow A4 envelope. He would have to go home to decipher the code written information. This was a lengthy process and would take him into the night. He sat in front of his computer and erased the footage of his encounter with Holinger and Westmere from his surveillance system. He opened the envelope and pulled out the documents. He looked at the photo and stopped dead, the picture was a well known local news reporter, his x-wife.

  At the same time Holmes of the federal police was in his superior Kevin Sharp’s office in Canberra discussing some very sensitive moves when Holmes noticed a photo on Sharp's desk and interrupted their conversation, "You know Jodi Stanton do you Kevin?"

  "No." Holmes picked up the picture and studied it.

  "Stunner isn't she. You wouldn't think she's sixty. I don't think Stanton ever got over breaking up with her." Sharp double checked the photo.

  "Correct me if I'm wrong but that's Jodi Simpson from The Australian Herald, the political reporter," said Sharp.

  "Yes, same person, she went back to her maiden name when she divorced Stanton."

  "Are you sure?"

  "Positive, I spoke to her only the day before yesterday when I was in Newcastle; she lives not far from Stanton. He still adores her but she hates the sight of him, or so it would seem, I have another concept of their behaviour." Sharp looked pale and stared at the wall.

  Stanton, after checking endless leads on his security system and making phone calls, ran out of time and decided to act; he roared into Jodi Simpson's driveway, left the door of his car open and hammered on the window of her bedroom. The light came on and a face peered round the blinds. Jodi opened the door on a safety chain and Stanton barged in easily breaking the chain. "Put your clothes on and pack, you're going to London."

  "What, John are you insane, it's getting late. What on earth has come over you. You’ve finally cracked." A middle-aged man walked into the hall from the bedroom and immediately recognised Stanton.

  "Oh my God no, do you want me to call the Police Jodi?" Stanton recognised Graham Billet, federal Member of Parliament for The Hunter. Stanton grabbed him by the collar of his dressing gown, forced his arm up his back breaking it, and threw him out the door. Jodi became hysterical; Stanton shook her shoulders glaring into her face etched with fear.

  "Look at me, would I come here like this if it wasn't important?" She opened her eyes and looked at him. "How many times have I told you about these bastards?" She pushed Stanton away and tried to break his grip, he pulled a photo from his inside Jacket pocket and thrust it in her face. "Look. I got this today, I don't know who else has it and it's over a day old." Jodi looked at her own picture in front of her face and froze. She put her face in her hands.

  "Oh my God John, will this ever end?" Stanton held her as she cried.

  “What an earth have you been up to? Get dressed, pack, move, come on," shouted Stanton. Jodi disappeared into the bedroom. Stanton went outside to Billet standing against the wall nursing his arm.

  "I've called the police Stanton; they’ll be here any second. Finally you'll be locked up where you belong." Stanton pinned Billet to the wall forehead to forehead as he could hear the police siren in the background.

  "Get in your car Billet and go away, parties over," he scowled.

  "I don't have my keys or trousers, I'm hurt," Billet whimpered. Jodi's hand appeared out the bedroom window dropping his clothes and keys on the ground.

  "Well now you have," replied Stanton. Billet started dressing awkwardly as a squad car nosed up the driveway and the cars lights lit up the scene.

  "Shit that's Stanton's Mustang and this is Jodi Simpson's joint. There is no way I'm fronting that guy, Cadiche would kill me," said the young officer in the passenger's seat. The mature sergeant driving the car put down his baton and spoke.

  "If John Stanton came here it's probably because he had a good reason so don't panic." They got out of the car, the young officer tailing the sergeant. Billet fronted them at the top of the steps leading to the front door."

  "I'm Graham Billet federal member for the Hunter, thank god you're here. John Stanton."

  Stanton interrupted. "Was just assisting Mr Billet as he left."

  "I've been assaulted by this madman, he's injured me."

  "What headline do you want in the paper tomorrow Billet, political journalist raped by federal member? Or you may be pushing up daisies or sorting mail for all your mates in the mail room on the hill. You choose." Billet looked to the officers for support who stared back at him with long faces. Billet hurried down the steps to his car. Stanton spoke to the sergeant. "How are you Frank?"

  "Good thanks John, how’s Jodi."

  "Great, she's just leaving on holiday actually."

  "What happened here, I have to write reports?"

  "Jodi's cat’s stuck in the tree, see it up there? She thought you might be able to help her out." Frank smiled went back to the squad car and drove off.

  "There's no cat in a tree there, there's not even any trees there," said the young officer.

  "Looks like you're going to write your first novel report, things aren’t always as they appear, so have a think about it. If John Stanton wants a cat in a tree he has a good reason for it I don't want to know."

  "How can he get away with that?"

  "Get away with what? When Stanton came here over six years ago within twelve months crime had decreased by over forty percent across the board. Over the past five years we have been able to collar twelve murderers, fifteen rapists and a swag of corporate crooks robbing the public purse. All this information we think came from the same source, Stanton. What we don't know is just how many people have gone fishing with Stanton but it must be a few. A lot of suspected crooks have become missing persons. These days we aren't swamped under which is helpful."

  "Fishing with him, what do you mean?"

  "Believe me; you don't want to go fishing with John Stanton."

  "How come they don't nab him?"

  "Nab him for what, there is not a single shred of evidence to show any of that is true, just rumours and legends."

  "I was told he's really weird."

  "If we could operate like Stanton, I couldn't give shit if the entire force was weird."

  Stanton's Mustang rumbled towards Sydney; Jodi sat in complete silence looking straight ahead. Stanton tolerated the silence but needed information. "You have to tell me what you've have been working on Jodi."

  "John please! Can I call the children,” Stanton raised his voice.

  "For god sake Jodi, someone in Canberra wants you dead."

  "There you've admitted to me, you're still a damn assassin, bloody cold-hearted killer." Stanton looked away.

  "I know you hate me for it but I can never stop loving you." Jodi looked at Stanton, he turned his face to her and their eyes met.

  "You haven't said that for years."

  "I lost two entire units damn it Jodi, don't you think that had an effect on my life? Do you think that I can sit around knowing that something can be done about it? Does that sound like me? Why did you marry me - because I was ugly and had no morals?"

  "Don't be stupid, you were the most wonderful man - what happened?"

  "I would rather you visit my grave with the rest of the unit’s wives, but I managed to survive twice. I have stood in harms way every day. Why me?"

  "Because you're bloody good at what you do."

  "I can't hack this Jodi, now what have you been reporting that would be so important someone wants you dead. Tell me everything even if you don't think it’s important." Jodi went over life from the past year outlining the facts. Stanton's heart dropped as she explained how many people she had slept with to gain information. "Leave out how you gained information, this is my fault,
I should have been there all the time so you didn't need to do this.” Jodi looked at John and smiled at him for the first time in years.

  Jodi paused thinking for a few seconds. "Thank you John, that's the man I used to know, looks like he's still in there somewhere. You need to go and see the boys and Lola,"

  "They won't talk to me."

  "Go to them John, walk up to their doors like you have mine and tell them you love them. God I've missed you. Don't you think they feel the same way?" There was again silence for a while.

  "Tell me more, I have nothing that rings a bell yet, we’re not far from the airport, come on." Jodi went on, and then said something that interested him.

  "I tried to get information on the army truck supply column of ammunition and weapons that went missing in Kabul two weeks ago but have had no luck." Stanton looked round at her.

  "What, how many trucks, what kind of weapons and ammo?"

  "I found the brief on it in Billet’s case; he does some work with the federal police. Apparently they were looking at the system here to try to trace where the stuff went, he's been out to Singleton army base. A fifteen truck convoy fully loaded with small arms and ammunition just disappeared."

  "That's worth a fortune over there on the black market. That must be why. How did they know you sighted the info?"

  "I asked about it at a press conference with the minister for defence last week in Canberra." Stanton blew air through his lips with his checks blown up.

  "You haven't learnt much from me have you princess? That's like me going around with a sign on my forehead saying shoot me." They turned onto the airport access road.

  "John I'm a journalist, asking questions about current affairs is my job. I do it spontaneously. When are you going to get a normal car John, won’t you ever grow up, I'm embarrassed rolling up in this thing. What if someone should see me?"

  "This is a normal car."

  "Our children don't drive around in cars like this; get a Statesman or Fairlane or something nice."

  "They are old men's cars."

  "You are an old man John."

  "Crap, ageing is inevitable, growing up is optional. Now follow me." Stanton pulled up at the international terminal, got Jodi's luggage and headed inside. Hacking computer systems and pulling strings, he arranged a first class ticket to Heathrow London on the next plane and stayed until the plane was boarding, holding her back till the last minute. "Now listen, do you think you can do that this once. Talk to no one on the plane unless it's about complete bullshit. No one is to pick you up but Bruce Hurst. You are to stay with him until he lets you come back or I come to get you. Is that all clear?"

  "Yes John. What is to become of us John?"

  "I’ll go and see the boys and Lola, I’ll have to tell them some things. Remember do not use your mobile phone, always pay phones."

  "Yes John," she kissed his check and walked up the boarding tunnel. Stanton watched her buttock length blonde hair now showing a tint of grey stream behind her in the breeze within the boarding tunnel. She faded out of sight. Stanton looked at his watch, one-thirty am on a Wednesday morning, he was tiring with little sleep but rest was not for now. He walked to a nearby pay phone, looked up a number in his wallet and dialled the UK prefix and the London number. His conversation was short and to the point. A female voice answered immediately after the international blips.

  "Bruce Hurst please," asked Stanton.

  "One moment please sir, who shall I say is calling?"

  "Stanton." The transfer was quick.

  "John?"

  "Bruce."

  "What are you doing man; this is highly irregular and dangerous."

  "Bit late for that, Jodi will be at Heathrow airport in seventeen hours, find her for me and keep her safe. Should something happen to me bring her home or wait till I call, whatever comes first?"

  "Why?"

  "I got a sanction yesterday from Canberra; it was Jodi." Hurst stood up at his desk.

  "What!"

  "I'm on it Bruce."

  "No doubt; I will guard her with my life."

  "One more thing Bruce."

  "And…"

  "You’re shit ugly." Stanton hung up and Bruce Hurst threw the phone down.

  "Why do I have to be his friend, why don't I just hook up with the devil or someone nice? This is going to inflame my haemorrhoids, I can see it coming." Two other men in the same office at different desks looked round at Hurst with blank looks and their gaze met. There were a few seconds of silence then one spoke.

  "Something wrong sir?" Hurst looked at them and gathered his thoughts.

  "No, no no, load up gentlemen, we are off to Heathrow."

  "Official business sir?"

  "I don't know. Let's go find out. Wait, Gled. Get down to operations; get a list of every Australian official coming into the country in the next twenty-four hours, especially the ones that are not on the radar. Jodi Simpson, could be travelling as Jodi Stanton, I want to know what flight she's on and when it's due at Heathrow, if the flight has a stop I want her covered, if anyone goes near her I want them sussed out."

  "Um, you mentioned the name Stanton sir, would tha...."

  "Yes it’s John Stanton's x- wife Gled, any more questions?"

  "No sir."

  "I want you at the airport within the hour Gled so get on it." They all checked their weapons in silence, holstered them and left.