The Conspiracy 2

by Jack Probyn

  ‘First things first,’ she said eventually, ‘find out where the hell forensics and bomb squad are.’

  ‘Yes, ma’am,’ Bridger said, stepping beside her. ‘I’ll give them a chase now.’ He nodded at Pemberton before wandering off towards the black minivan. Jake observed Bridger peer inside the vehicle, pause and then step away and disappear to the other end of the driveway.

  ‘Whoever’s written this has got neat handwriting,’ Pemberton remarked, holding the photograph aloft for a better view.

  Jake followed her arm, his eyes half-closed. ‘I think they’ve stencilled over a Word document or something. It looks almost immaculate. No one has handwriting that precise.’

  ‘Send the original to the office. Tell them to get it investigated by the graphologist as soon as possible. Get them to cross-reference it with any documents and signatures in Bridgewater Jewellers… in particular those employees files they all seem to have.’

  Jake nodded, hurried away and instructed a uniformed officer to deliver it back to the station. After the officer nodded, Jake raced back to Pemberton’s side.

  ‘This is insane.’ Pemberton sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose with her fingers. ‘How are we going to get inside the property safely?’

  Jake looked around him, taking in the minutiae of his surroundings. His head stopped as he glanced at the side of the mansion. ‘The garden,’ he said.

  ‘Excuse me, Jake?’

  ‘The garden. Move Candice into the garden where there’s a lot of space – a lot more. That’ll free bomb squad for when they get here, and it’ll free forensics up to get inside the property without any issues.’

  ‘You’re full of bright ideas today, aren’t you?’ Pemberton said. She stepped from side to side on the balls of her feet as if she were waiting anxiously outside the school disco for the boy that she had a crush on to come and tell her that he loved her. Jake knew he was right; it was just about convincing her that he was right too.

  Jake pointed at the instructions on the screen. ‘This sheet changes everything. We’ve got just under four hours to find four keys.’

  ‘Fine,’ she said eventually. ‘Add it to my log. We’ll take Candice round to the back, while you and Bridger get yourselves suited up. Let’s get you guys in there.’

  | EPISODE 2 |

  CHAPTER SIX

  TOILET BREAK

  As the three of them headed further south on the A287 through Beacon Hill, with the sunlight breaking through the arms and leaves of the trees hanging overhead, Luke constantly glanced behind him. His eyes searched for an entourage of blue flashing lights atop liveried police cars chasing after them, drawing closer with every passing second. But each time, he found none, except every now and then his mind played tricks on him. Cars miraculously changed colour and their roofs flashed incandescent blue and white. Even the sound of a horn from someone cutting someone else up turned into a police siren. It was relentless and it grated on his sanity.

  ‘Pull the car over,’ Luke said, clutching the back of Danny’s seat.

  Danny ignored him.

  ‘Pull the car over,’ he reiterated.

  Silence.

  ‘Dan – we’ve been in this car for too long. Way longer than we usually are. We need to pull over and switch. They’ll have picked up the new plates by now. And I need a piss. Pull the car over.’

  ‘We’re not stopping,’ Danny said, keeping his eyes trained on the road. ‘Not until we get to Portsmouth.’

  ‘I need a piss,’ Luke said. He didn’t care if he sounded like an insolent child. His guilt was getting the better of him. Images flashed intermittently in his mind’s eye, vivid, visceral. Images of the dead woman Danny had shot in the neck. The lifeless eyes. The way her body slumped to the floor slowly. And then they moved to images of Candice, lying on the marble with the collar bomb attached to her neck. The screams. Shouts. Cries for help and mercy.

  ‘Piss in a bottle or something,’ Danny said, grunting loudly.

  Luke scanned the back seats. ‘There aren’t any.’

  ‘Piss on the seats then.’

  ‘What? You can’t be fucking serious,’ Luke said. ‘I thought you said no DNA? No trace? Just like every other time we’ve done this. Eh? So what makes this time different? Because it’s Dan’s Big Finale, Dan’s Big Brilliant Idea, he thinks he can sacrifice those rules for everyone other than himself?’

  Danny remained silent.

  ‘Are we going to talk about the elephant in the room?’ Michael said.

  ‘What elephant?’ Danny asked, his head snapping towards Michael.

  ‘The fact that you fucking killed someone, Dan. Where did that come from? We never agreed to killing anyone. I don’t care whether it was always Freddy’s mantra not to fire a bullet. You could have at least warned us,’ Michael explained. ‘And what did she do to deserve it? She wasn’t getting in the way of anyone. That’s cold-blooded, Dan. I never expected to see that from you.’

  ‘I did what I had to do.’

  ‘I saw you pointing that gun at Candice as well… You almost shot her. We needed her – without her, this all goes to shit.’

  A Ford Insignia pulled out from a rural road, cutting in front of them. Danny slammed on the brakes. Luke propelled forward into the back of Danny’s seat, and as his brother gradually brought the car back up to normal speed, Luke locked himself into the seat with his seat belt. The engine roared beneath their feet. As they swerved in and out of the traffic, overtaking and undertaking at every opportunity, Luke glanced at the speedometer. It was cradled just above 80mph.

  ‘There’s only one lane of traffic,’ he said, slapping Danny’s headrest. ‘Are you trying to kill us?’

  ‘Don’t tell me how to drive, Luke. You can’t even pass your test.’ Danny slammed on the brakes again. This time Luke saw it coming and tensed his legs while extending his hand into the back of Danny’s seat to avoid any pain in his shoulder from the seat belt.

  ‘Freddy said I was a decent driver,’ Luke said, adjusting himself on his seat and gazing out of the window. It felt weird for him to mention their old friend’s name. In fact, he had been more than a friend. A father. The dad they never had. It was as if Freddy had adopted them and led them onto the path they were currently headed down.

  ‘Freddy ain’t here now, is he? So you’re going to listen to me instead.’ Danny smacked his hand on the steering wheel. ‘Christ – if only you both knew what Freddy was like. He’s not the hero you think he is.’

  ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’ Michael asked.

  ‘He taught you everything you know. He taught us everything we know,’ Luke added.

  ‘And look where he ended up. Locked up for the next fifteen years. He ain’t worth shit, you get me?’

  ‘What did he do to you?’ Michael leant forward and placed his hand on the dashboard, twisting to face Danny.

  ‘Nothing.’ Danny dismissed Michael with a wave of his hand. ‘Leave it.’

  They slowed as they approached a roundabout. To their right was a slip road that led onto the A3. Danny swerved the car around the bend, up the slip road and merged into the two lanes of traffic. The sound of the engine growling filled the still and silent interior. Luke continued to stare out of the window as he watched the world fly past in a mirage of green and grey, allowing his mind to wander momentarily.

  For a long time, he had wanted out of his life as a career criminal. It was horrible – constantly turning your back on everyone you loved. Watching over your shoulder every step you took. It wasn’t the life he had imagined he would have when he was growing up. He’d wanted to be an architect. An artist. A graphic designer. Someone who could draw. Someone who could make the world a better place with his art. But that had been a pipe dream. Something he could never share with his brothers, especially not after they’d formed the group. How could he leave when they’d been so adamant about loyalty and trust and brotherhood? What sort of brother would he be if he turned his back on them? A terrib
le one, he knew. Neither of them would forgive him. But now there was a hope, a possibility. They were finally on their way out of the country – and out of this life forever. Now his passions had the chance to become a reality in the new lives they were going to make for themselves. Soon the three of them would be able to enjoy the rest of their time on earth doing what they loved, together. At least, that was what he told himself.

  A road sign for a nearby service station flashed past less than a quarter mile away.

  ‘Pull over here, Danny. I need a piss. Still,’ Luke said.

  Danny didn’t respond; instead he expelled a puff of discontent from his nostrils.

  ‘I think I saw one of those speed cameras flash a few miles back. This’ll be a good place to ditch the car and get a new one.’

  ‘OK, you can put those skills Freddy taught you to the test. Just don’t fuck it up.’ Danny’s voice was replete with disdain, but Luke appreciated the poor attempt at trying to lighten the mood.

  He eased into the comfort of the leather seat. His hand gravitated towards his crotch and applied pressure, relieving the burning sensation in his bladder. He shouldn’t have down that bottle of water before they left this morning. Danny moved the car across the two lanes of traffic, bringing the car down to a legal speed, and pulled off into a service station. He slid in to park behind an Audi A4 and yanked the handbrake on. The service station was surprisingly quiet, save for a few heavy goods vehicles that were parked up behind the building.

  Luke placed his hand on the door handle.

  ‘What are you doing?’ Danny asked.

  Luke glanced at the handle. ‘I thought it was obvious?’

  ‘Not dressed in your overalls, you’re not.’

  ‘Shit.’

  ‘Get undressed. Mess your hair up. Put your hat on. Keep your head down. And try not to touch anything.’

  In the back seat of Candice’s GLC, Luke unzipped the front of his crimson overalls, slipped them off his body and shoved them to the side. He then reached inside the gym bag, sifted through the jewellery and found his beanie. Pulling it low on his head, he swept a few strands of hair out of his eyes and concealed the bag with his overalls before hopping out of the car.

  Danny called back: ‘You’ve got two minutes. Finish your piss and then come straight back.’

  | EPISODE 2 |

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  MAKING THINGS WORSE

  Michael watched Luke adjust his beanie and advance towards the Shell complex, hopping over the potholes in the ground.

  The atmosphere inside the car was sour.

  Michael waited until Luke entered the station before speaking. ‘What was that all about?’ he asked Danny, keeping his gaze focused on the building’s revolving doors.

  ‘What you talking about?’

  ‘That Freddy bollocks you was spouting off to him. What aren’t you telling us?’

  Danny undid his seat belt buckle and folded his arms. ‘Luke doesn’t stop talking about that fucking prick. He worships him.’

  ‘You know he thinks of him like a dad. I mean, can you blame him?’

  ‘You seriously want to get into this again? The man who raised us was serving, defending our country. The man was a hero. Freddy was just a jumped-up little shit who was good at robbing places. Freddy’s half the man Dad is.’

  Michael sighed, grabbed the plastic handle on the door frame and said, ‘You can’t blame Luke for being born when he was. It’s not his fault Dad missed him growing up. And it’s not his fault Freddy was the only role model he had.’

  ‘What about me?’ There was pain in Danny’s expression. As if the stresses and turmoil he’d been through his entire life were now showing up on his exterior. The lines in his forehead and sides of his eyes were beginning to grow, the bags beneath them darkening. ‘What about me, Michael? I tried to be a good role model for that kid. You know I did. We’re his blood. Freddy isn’t. And I’ll be fucked if he thinks Freddy is a better man than me. The bloke don’t even know his own son.’

  ‘I just hope you’re not lying to him,’ Michael said. ‘Whatever you do. It’ll only make things worse.’

  Danny tutted, sighed and then shifted his attention to the cars pulling in and out of the petrol station. Michael knew his brother better than anyone, and he knew when Danny was hiding something from them. The only problem was working out what it was.

  Out the corner of his eye, he watched Danny rub his forearm and squeeze the skin through his overalls. Danny didn’t even realise he was doing it. But Michael knew what it meant. He’d seen the signs before.

  ‘Oi,’ he said, slapping Danny on the leg with the back of his hand. As Danny’s gaze shot towards him, he pointed at his brother’s arm. ‘You all right?’

  ‘Yeah.’ Danny slid the sleeve further over his hand and placed his hands in his lap.

  ‘Don’t lie to me either, Dan.’

  ‘It’s nothing.’

  ‘Did L—’

  At that moment, the rear passenger door burst open and Luke fumbled in, a relieved smile beaming across his face.

  | EPISODE 2 |

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  HIJACK

  ‘What took you so long?’ Danny jibed as Luke entered the car.

  ‘I told you – I really needed that piss.’ And he had. He had stood there for what felt like an eternity, waiting for his body to drain the urine in his system. But now that it was out of him, he felt as though he could run a mile.

  ‘Come on. Get your gear back on,’ Danny ordered. ‘This Audi’s been sat here for a while. Ain’t seen anyone coming anywhere near it.’

  Luke slipped back into his overalls, zipped the top up to his neck and pulled the hood over his head.

  ‘Masks?’ Michael asked from the front.

  Luke reached across the seat and grabbed their red devil masks. They had become synonymous with The Crimsons, instilling fear in everyone who saw them. The masks were custom-made – a favour called in from one of Freddy Miller’s contacts a few years ago – and Luke felt powerful every time he wore one. He could be anyone he wanted beneath it. He could don a new persona, a new way of life, a new outlook on everything. He could let the animal within him break free. And he revelled in the sight of watching their victims shit themselves as they stared down the business end of a barrel.

  Luke pulled the strap tightly over the back of his head, tucked small tufts of hair in the sides of the mask and grabbed the gym bag next to him.

  ‘Guns?’ Luke asked, turning round to search the boot of the car.

  ‘With me,’ Michael said, before reaching into the footwell and producing Luke’s Mini-Uzi.

  Luke took it from his brother and bounced the weight of the weapon in his hands. It felt as light as a tennis ball, and as he tightened his grip around the handle, adrenaline surged through his body again. All notion of what had taken place in the past two hours flew out of his mind. They were too far gone now. It was time for a blank slate. As a result, his breathing quickened and he clenched his jaw, grinding his teeth together. It made him feel alive.

  ‘Ready?’ Danny asked. ‘Is that everything? Luke – give Micky the bag. You’re going to need your hands free if you’re going to break into this car.’

  ‘Does that mean I’m driving then?’

  Danny hesitated for a moment. He looked at Michael, back to Luke, then Michael and back to Luke again. He shrugged. ‘So long as you don’t kill us.’

  ‘Are you sure this is a good idea, Dan? It looks too open to me,’ Michael asked, placing a hand on Danny’s back. ‘Freddy always said to never—’

  ‘Shut it. He’s not here. The bigger the risks we take, the bigger the reward, trust me. Nobody’s gonna know who we are. Now get on with it – somebody’s coming.’

  In the distance, a stocky man wearing a pink polo shirt, light blue Ralph Lauren jumper and brown boat shoes started towards them. Luke didn’t know him, but he already thought the guy was a flash prick.

  Wasting no time at all, Luk
e hopped out of the car, hurried to the driver’s-side of the Audi and yanked the handle. Locked. Surprise. He reached inside his overalls and produced a long, thin piece of metal similar in shape and size to a ruler. As he slid the slim jim between the window and the door, Luke heard Danny and Micky hop out of the car and race towards the Audi’s passenger doors.

  ‘Fuck it!’ Luke grabbed for his gun, gripped it in his hands and smashed the butt against the car window. The glass shattered and scattered inside the car and over Luke’s overalls, but he didn’t care. The adrenaline clouded his mind. He reached for the inside handle and swung the door open. Then he threw himself into the car and kicked open the plastic housing beneath the steering wheel.

  Time was running out, and to make matters worse, the man in the ridiculous outfit shouted at them.

  ‘What the fuck do you think you’re doing?’ he called.

  Before Luke was able to react, erupting from behind the back of the car, was Danny, slowly approaching the man with his arm raised. At the sight of the weapon, screams and cries erupted from those who were standing beside cars in the middle of filling them with petrol, and tyres squealed as their owners floored it out of there.

  ‘Give us the keys!’ Danny screamed at the man.

  There was no response.

  ‘Give us the keys!’

  Still nothing. The man froze with his arms in the air, paralysed by fear.

  Realising they couldn’t afford to waste any more time, Luke leapt out of the vehicle and over to the man. As he reached for the car owner’s pockets, something inside the man changed. They tussled. But Luke reacted first. He was was determined to prove himself. He wasn’t going to let this guy best him. And he wasn’t about to have his reputation tarnished any more in Danny’s mind than it already was.