by M A Comley
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
The chopper swept low across the fields, then, when the location drew closer, climbed higher in the sky. Sean’s gaze was trained on the open fields ahead, which were dotted with the odd farmhouse or barn. The pilot spoke to him through his headphones, “Not long now, sir.”
Sean replied with a thumbs-up. A few seconds later, the pilot nudged him in the ribs and pointed to the left as the chopper took a wide sweep around the farm’s perimeter. He offered Sean a pair of binoculars.
Sean peered through the lenses, and his gaze immediately caught the tail end of the Orion poking out of a barn close to the old, ram-shackled farmhouse. He asked the pilot to circle a second time. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a cloud of dust approaching the property. Sean urged the pilot to take the chopper higher to avoid being seen, but it was too late. The four-by-four drew up in the drive. Two men got out, and another man came out of the back door of the property to greet them.
The three men covered their eyes from the glare of the sun and focused on the chopper.
“Uh-oh, looks like we’ve been made. Can you speed up and get us out of here?” Sean ordered the pilot just as the men below took out their weapons and opened fire on the chopper. Sean fished AJ’s mobile out of his pocket and dialled the station. “Katy, we’re under attack. I haven’t got time to make another call. Ring the Armed Response Team I have on standby. Tell them to storm the place now!” Metal pinged as a bullet hit the side of the chopper. “Jesus, we’ve got to get out of here. Shit!”
“Sean... Sean, what is it?”
“Crap, Katy, unless my eyes are deceiving me, a vehicle has just pulled up, and the men are dragging Charlie from the car.”
“Shit! Well, at least we know where she is.”
“What? You knew?”
“Yes, only just. Tony rang a few minutes ago. Are you sure you want to send an ART in there, Sean?”
“What else do you suggest? Negotiators? I don’t think these guys are much into having a conversation with us. Just make the call and let the commanding officer decide. Make him aware of what hostages we believe are present, okay?”
“Doing it now. Are you on your way back?”
“Yes... we’ll tr...”
***
“Sean? Sean, can you hear me?” The line was dead. Katy dialled the number of the ART unit and actioned Sean’s request for back-up. Then she called Tony. “Tony, it’s Katy. Listen, Sean’s rung. The men spotted him at the location, and they’ve fired shots at him.”
“Bloody hell. Is he okay?”
“I have no idea—the line went dead. I have a response team on the way. Look, there’s something you should know.”
“What is it, Katy?”
She let out a huge sigh. “Before I lost contact with Sean, he told me he saw Charlie getting out of a vehicle.”
“Fuck! So they have got her. I wonder what they have lined up for Lorne. I’m hoping they lead her there, too, to be with Charlie.”
“I doubt that will happen. Look, I have to go. The super will be furious if I don’t tell her Sean has gone MIA.”
“You do that. Keep me posted, Katy.”
“I will.”
***
Tony rotated on the spot, torn by what direction to take. His mobile rang, postponing his decision. “Hello?”
“Jesus, man! I’ve been ringing you for ages.”
“Shit, Joe, likewise. Your bloody phone kept going into voicemail. Where are you?”
“Down by the river. Looks like Lorne’s being forced to take a boat ride.”
Tony ran as fast as his aching limbs would carry him along the bustling pavement to the underground station at the top of the road.
“Whereabouts?”
“We’re at Tower Pier.”
“I’m on my way. Try and keep in contact with me, mate.”
“Just get here.”
“Going into the tube station now. Joe, the gang have abducted Charlie, Lorne’s daughter. Lorne’s boss is at the location where they suspect the hostages are being held. The kidnappers have weapons. My guess is that they’ll try and make a run for it.”
“Jesus, sorry, man! Do you think they’ll take the hostages with them?”
“Yep, it would be pointless to leave them behind. I’m glad Lorne is out of contact and unaware of Charlie’s plight, but I fear the kidnapper will probably goad her with the information soon enough. That’s going to bloody destroy her.”
“What mother wouldn’t be affected by such news? Tony, she’s got through this once before. They both have. We’ll get them out of this, mate. Don’t worry.”
“Let’s effing well hope so. I’ll be with you shortly.” Tony disconnected the call and sprinted through the station and onto the platform. His mind raced at a hundred miles an hour until the train pulled to a stop in front of him.
***
Lorne arrived at the Westminster pier and stood in line with dozens of tourists, who seemed to be speaking every language known to man. With the drone of their voices in the background, she continued to survey the area, aware that Warrior probably had his eagle-eyed sidekick scrutinising her every move. For the last couple of hours, she had felt alone and out in the wilderness, wishing that Tony had kept up with her. Then she’d spotted Joe, disguised under a peaked cap, at the end of the queue. Her heart skipped several beats when she realised that she was no longer alone. But where is Tony? Oh God, has something gone wrong? Has he been involved in an accident? She shuddered and looked over to her left to find a man observing her through narrowed eyes. That’s him. It has to be. His gaze swiftly averted, and she followed suit, not wishing to let on that she’d identified him.
The crew welcomed the passengers aboard the cruiser, and Lorne moved with the surging crowd, still keeping an eye on her surroundings. Something drew her attention to the car park, making her pulse race as if it belonged to an Olympic marathon runner. Thank God! Tony sought out Joe, high-fived his partner, and looked directly at her. Her cheeks warmed under his familiar loving gaze. Feeling secure once more, she boarded the boat with the rest of the passengers and chose one of the seats close to the side of the boat. Tony and Joe sat a few seats ahead of her, and the man following her sat close to the cabin of the cruiser. Why? Is he intending to take over the boat at some point during the journey? Maybe that was her overactive imagination at play. However, she vowed to be aware of the possibility during the trip.
The crew unhitched the boat from its mooring, and the craft began its cruise down the river. Lorne couldn’t help but chuckle when she heard the number of gasps the small group of Japanese tourists exuded as the tour guide pointed out each of the historical landmarks.
In spite of the leisurely journey, she found it impossible to relax, and her stomach remained tied in knots as she contemplated what Warrior had in store for her as his endgame. There has to be one, doesn’t there? She found it perplexing that he hadn’t contacted her again before she’d boarded the boat. Lorne exhaled a breath, unsure whether her questions would be answered anytime soon.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Warrior ordered his men to keep firing at the helicopter, forcing it to vacate the farm, while he rang the boss of the operation.
“We’re in the shit.”
His boss tutted. “What? Tell me what’s happened? Is that gunfire?”
“Yes, boss. We think the hideaway has been discovered.”
“By the police? Spit it out, man. Tell me what’s going on there. I hope the hostages haven’t been harmed.”
“No. The hostages are mostly in the house, unharmed. There’s only one outside. I’ll drag her in here in a sec. We need to get out of here before the police descend on us in force.”
“How did they find the location? Did the men screw up? Were they followed?”
“I don’t know. You said this copper had her wits about her. Maybe we’ve underestimated her abilities to our cost.”
“Stop being such a defeatist.” He mumbled so
mething in his native tongue. “Okay, you’ve got the truck there, yes?”
“Yes. We haven’t used it yet. So as far as I know, they’re unaware we have one.”
“Well, they’ll know if the chopper sees it. Shoot it out of the sky and then make your move. Throw the hostages in the truck and get out of there ASAP. Let me think about this for a few minutes. I’ll get back to you soon with a new plan. What about Simpkins?”
“She’s on-board a cruiser on the Thames. They’ve just set off. She’ll be tied up for the next forty-five minutes or thereabouts.”
“Good. That gives us enough time to alter things around and make new arrangements. Your priority has to be to get out of there within five to ten minutes, but first, you need to shoot that chopper down. Got that?”
“We’ll do our best. Although, it looks like it’ll soon be out of reach.”
“What, from your guns? Use your head, man. You’ve got hundreds of weapons in your possession—use them! I’ll contact you soon.”
Warrior went outside to see how his men were progressing. He covered his eyes against the sun’s glare and saw the chopper just dipping out of sight behind a nearby hill. He raked a hand through his hair. Damn! The boss ain’t going to be happy when he hears about this. “Why didn’t you frigging use an RPG on it? Why is it I have to do everything myself around here?”
“What? You mean you wanted us to really shoot it down? We thought the intention was to scare it off, boss,” Spike said, looking confused.
“It’s done now. I’m waiting on further instructions. Looks like we’re about to ship out. I need you to get the truck ready. Load up and secure the hostages in the back of it. By the time you’ve done that, the boss should have decided what he wants us to do next. You lot get the hostages from inside. I’ll deal with the bitch out here. Keep the truck hidden in the barn until the last minute, just in case the chopper returns.”
The three men marched into the house through the kitchen door while Warrior traipsed across the yard again to the woman and her kid. “Time to move. Get out.”
Bethany clung to her child with one arm and used the other to aid her ascent out of the hole. “Where are we going? Has my husband paid the money? Are you setting us free?”
“No, and stop asking dumb bloody questions. My threat still stands, if your other half doesn’t produce that money by seven, well...” He turned the woman around and pointed at the barn off to the right. “In there.”
She dragged her feet as if sensing something bad was about to happen to her. Warrior placed a hand in the middle of her back and shoved her ahead with force. “Get a move on. Stop prolonging the inevitable.”
The woman hugged her crying child and began to sob. “Please, I’m willing to do anything. Just don’t hurt us.”
“Whatever.” They entered the barn and stopped alongside the rear of the white commercial vehicle the gang had acquired, without its owner’s agreement, a few months before, around the time the audacious plan had first been formulated. With one hand holding the woman’s arm in case she tried to abscond again, he opened the rear of the lorry, threw back the doors then thrust the woman and the child inside. His men had prepared the lorry for this very task. They’d installed a wooden bench on either side, and bindings to hold the hostages had been placed at regular intervals along the benches. He positioned Bethany in front of the bench, took the child from her resisting arms, and placed him on the floor of the lorry. “Sit down,” he ordered, securing her hands behind her back.
“But I need to hold the baby,” she cried out fearfully.
“You should be more concerned about your own safety than his right now. Shut up, bitch. I’m getting tired of you always questioning what I can and can’t do; you hear me?”
Her head dropped, and her chin rested on her chest. He picked up the child and left the back of the lorry. Entering the kitchen, he found the hostages all lined up, ready to ship out.
“Left holding the baby, I see.” Johnny laughed.
Warrior glared at him. “Go and get the bag that he’s been using as a bed. He can travel in the front, strapped in that.”
Johnny rushed out of the room and returned with the bag, which he placed on the floor in front of Warrior. After tucking the baby back in his makeshift bed, Warrior walked down the line of hostages. His gaze locked, in most cases, with the terrified women and their offspring until he reached Charlie. He paused and ran his narrowed eyes the length of her young body. He jabbed a finger in her chest. “I know how that brain of yours works. If you’re anything like your mother, you’ll be planning your escape. I’d advise you to think again.”
Charlie shrugged. “I’m not thinking anything of the sort. What do you want from us? What is this all about?”
“You’ve clearly missed your vocation in life, kennel maid. You should have followed in your mother’s shoes, judging by the stupid questions you’re asking.” To ensure that he kept the other hostages in line, he slapped Charlie around the face. The other women gasped then quickly turned their heads away.
“You won’t get away with this,” Charlie said through gritted teeth.
“We’ll see. I’ve already run your mother ragged today. I hope she enjoys what we have in store for her the rest of the day.”
“She’ll outwit you at every turn, you bastard.”
“Looking for another slap, are you? Nah, I have other plans for you once we arrive at our next location, something nice and special.” He turned on his heel and laughed, amused by the shock on Charlie’s face. That’ll bring you down a peg or two, bitch. His phone rang. “Load them up. I’ll be with you soon.”
The hostages were led out of the room, some snivelling in fear but compliant with their instructions. “Yes, boss.”
“Right, here’s what I’ve come up with at short notice. Get on the road ASAP. Your men can deal with the hostages with price tags on their heads. I have something special lined up for Simpkins’s daughter.”
“Rightio. What’s that?”
“Never mind that for a minute. I need you to call Simpkins with these instructions...”
***
Lorne answered the phone, which had caused her to jump. “Hello.”
“Good trip, I hope. Right, when you dock, I need you to jump in a taxi to complete your journey.”
“Where do I take the taxi to?” Lorne asked, her anxiety levels rising as she sensed the endgame looming.
“Tell the driver to take you to the airfield at Fairoaks.”
“Okay. Why? Are you flying me out of the country?”
The man applauded her assumption, and her heart sank. Shit! I need to ring the station. Sean needs to get a team out there to help me in case I lose Tony and Joe again.
But what Warrior had to say next floored her, ruining any such plans before they had a chance to be fully formed in her mind.
“And, Simpkins, don’t even think about calling your station for help. We’ve already shot one chopper down. We won’t hesitate to do the same to other vehicles as they approach us.”
Thank God, they located the gang, but at what cost? How many lives have been lost already? “Why are you doing this? Aren’t the husbands paying the ransoms?”
“Not seen a penny of the thirty mill we’ve ordered as yet. One thing in our favour—it would appear that taking you out of the equation was the smart option. It proves your team are useless without you.”
“That’s not helping the hostages or you to get the money, though, is it? I can fix this. Let me return to the station to organise the payment you need to get away. No one else needs to get hurt, please?”
“Not going to happen. Get to the airfield immediately. I have a small surprise waiting for you. I repeat, don’t ring the station to give your mates an update. If you do, you can say goodbye to your little rescue centre and its occupants.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
“Hi, Katy. Bloody hell. Thought we’d lost contact for good then.”
“Sean! Thank God. What
happened?”
“One of the shots must have hit its target and knocked out our communication system, if only for a few minutes. Right, I’m here now. What’s the reinforcement’s status?”
“They’re on their way.”
“Good, I hope they’re coming in force. These guys mean bloody business.”
“I enforced that urgency upon the commanding officer. He said they intend hitting the place with two teams; that should cover it. Where are you now?”
“We’re going to hang around out here, Katy. View things from a distance from now on. The trouble is that I have no idea what’s going on at the farm. They could be up to all sorts in their blind panic, including killing the hostages.”
“Crap, don’t say that. They wouldn’t do that surely; that would be illogical. While they have the hostages, they’ll still be able to call the shots.”
“Yeah, but then once their plans go awry, you know as well as I do, panic can lead these types to be unpredictable.”
“Good job Lorne is out of contact with us at the moment. If she knew they had Charlie, there would be hell to pay.”
“Let’s keep it that way. Any news from Tony as regards to his whereabouts?”
“He called in a few minutes ago. He’s located Joe and Lorne. They’re on a boat cruising the river at present.”
“What’s that all about? These guys certainly get off on taking the piss, don’t they?”
“At least we know she’s safe again. My assumption is that what has occurred at the farm will probably put an end to this Warrior’s futile cat-and-mouse game now.”
“You’re probably right. Keep me informed as and when you receive any info. We’ll keep an eye open for the ARTs here.”
Sean disconnected the call and instructed the pilot to circle the farm again, with caution.
