Duality

by Heather Atkinson

  When the woman disappeared around the back of the house Hayden lost sight of her. “Can anyone see her?” he whispered into the microphone.

  “No but I can hear her,” said another voice. “She’s banging on the back door.”

  “Christ, what if she thinks they’ve died in there?” said Jared. “She might drag the cops up here. Someone needs to handle her.”

  “No,” said Hayden, trying to keep his voice a whisper. “She’ll go in a minute. We don’t want this getting any more complicated than it already is. She’ll leave soon enough.”

  In response to his words the woman came back round the side of the house shaking her head. “Bloody ignorant sods,” she said as she marched back to her car. “Like I haven’t got enough to do. Well if they think I’m trolling all the way back up here they can bugger off and get another mug. Three more appointments before I can even think about going home and stuck with my arm up a cow’s arse all morning.”

  Hayden relaxed. She was just a vet. A pissed off one. Made sense but he would keep his guard up.

  He was relieved when she got back in her car and drove off, he’d been so afraid one of Jared’s monkeys would shoot her.

  CHAPTER 21

  Isaac got out of his car to greet the woman in tweed as she pulled her mud-spattered car into a quiet lay-by.

  “Well?” he said.

  She held out her hand. “Cash first.”

  He dumped a pile of notes in her hand. “Did you see anything?”

  The woman shook her head. “I didn’t see anyone but something told me someone was there,” she replied in a strong cockney accent. “It was too quiet and it felt creepy.”

  “You did well. Don’t tell anyone about this, will you?”

  “Do you think I’m fucking stupid?” she said, hastily stuffing the notes into her blouse. She pulled off the short dark wig, revealing a mop of blond hair, making her look twenty years younger. “I don’t give a flying turd what you’re up to as long as I get paid. All I want to do is go home and get out of this costume. I’m fucking sweltering,” she said, pulling off the jacket to reveal a thick layer of padding.

  “I won’t keep you any longer.”

  “Good,” she said, stalking back to her car, getting inside and slamming the door shut.

  “Where’d you find her?” said Marcus.

  “She’s a friend of my sister’s, hoping to be an actress.”

  “Foul mouth on her.” He watched her drive off with a grin. “You got her phone number?”

  “Later. She thought someone was definitely there. We were going to walk into a trap.”

  “So what now? Run home with our tails between our legs?”

  “Course not. I got Bea to leave a little surprise for Jared fucking Slattery.” He glanced at his watch. “We’d better get up there. They’ll be finding it soon.”

  Sweat was starting to trickle down Hayden’s spine. Something was wrong.

  “Someone go and check the back of the house,” he said into the mike. “I don’t like it.”

  “You go and fucking check it,” said the grumpy voice.

  “Just for that you cheeky little fucker you’re going,” said Jared.

  “Yes Boss,” sighed the voice.

  From his vantage point Hayden saw a bearded man clamber out of the undergrowth dressed in camouflage gear and stroll to the back of the house, hands stuffed in his pockets. Inwardly Hayden cursed the fool. He looked like he was out for a walk, not involved in an ambush on a rival gang, the arsehole.

  He lost sight of him when he vanished behind the house.

  “Looks normal,” the man’s voice said almost immediately.

  “Have a good look around,” said Hayden. “Something’s not right.”

  “I have looked.”

  “You can’t have looked, you haven’t had time. Do the job properly.”

  “You’re not my fucking boss.”

  “But I am,” snarled Jared down the line. “I will bury you here if you don’t shut it and start doing as you’re fucking told.”

  “Can anyone see what he’s doing?” said Hayden impatiently, wishing he wasn’t here. He was realising what a bad idea it was.

  “I can,” said another voice that didn’t sound like a sulky child. “He’s looking under the plant pots around the back door. Now he’s picking up a package.”

  “A package?” exclaimed Hayden. “Put it down and get away from the house,” he bellowed down the line.

  “I thought you wanted me to look?” said the petulant voice returning.

  “Get out of there…”

  His words were cut off by a loud bang and a bellow of pain.

  “Do not go over there,” Hayden ordered down the line when two of the men broke cover and raced over to help their friend. “Stay down.”

  But they didn’t listen. The two men were knocked off their feet by the bullets that slammed into their foreheads, pitching them onto their backs. Through the ear piece he could hear the oaths of the four other men hidden away plus Jared’s growl of rage.

  “Everyone stay down and stay quiet,” whispered Hayden. “Don’t show them where you are.” He thanked God the farm was overgrown. He and Katia had been right, Isaac was one smart bastard. It would just be his luck though to get his head blown off by Isaac before he’d had a chance to implement his plan. What the fuck did he do now?

  Marcus chuckled as he stared down the sight of the gun. “Look at them running round like a bunch of dicks. Well, they were running until I shot them. Now they’re just lying there.”

  “Don’t celebrate yet,” said Isaac, who was crouched beside him in the woods that circuited the boundary of the farm. “There’s more of them out there and we haven’t found Jared yet. When he’s dead on the ground with a bullet in his head I’ll be happy.”

  “The fucking coward’s probably hiding in the grass. Want me to just shoot randomly?”

  “Christ no, that’s when accidents happen. Just take it easy. They can’t lie out there forever.” Isaac heard a noise behind him and turned and smiled, the scars on his face twisting diabolically. “Looks like we can get them to come to us.”

  Two of their men were dragging a Slattery heavy through the woods towards them.

  “We caught him trying to leg it out through here,” explained one of their men.

  “Typical of Slattery to employ cowards,” said Isaac, regarding the bleeding man whose eyes were closed, body limp. “You sure you didn’t kill him?”

  “Nah he’s just out cold. Come on, wake up,” he said, shaking him.

  The man came round with a groan. “My fucking head hurts.”

  “A lot more is going to start hurting if you don’t tell us where Slattery’s hiding out,” said Isaac.

  “He’s in the bushes,” he said, gesturing down at the farm.

  “I know that you wank. I mean where’s his base?”

  “Oh. A farm a couple of miles east from here. Winterdown Farm.”

  “Is Tanya there?”

  “Yeah and that Slovakian piece, Katia.”

  “Interesting,” said Isaac. “Alright, he’s no further use. Get rid of him. Quietly.”

  Before the man could cry out for help, Isaac’s men had wrapped a cord around his neck and slammed him face down in the undergrowth.

  “I’ve got an idea,” said Isaac, ignoring the choking sounds to his right. “Let’s get round to Winterdown Farm and get hold of Tanya. Jared would do anything to save his precious mummy, then we can take them both out.”

  “What about Katia?” replied Marcus. “She’s the one who runs that high class escort agency, she’s under Slattery’s protection.”

  “We’ll see. She’s a good earner and it would be stupid to waste a good earner.”

  “What are we waiting for? Let’s go.”

  Isaac nodded and looked to the rest of his men. “We’re off to Winterdown Farm. You keep this lot pinned down here.”

  The three men lying on their bellies armed with rifle
s all nodded while the other two dealt with the body of the now-dead Slattery heavy. As Isaac and Marcus scuttled away the others opened fire with gusto, encouraging Slattery and his men to keep their heads down.

  As the bullets flew around him Hayden managed to glimpse two figures running through the trees. “Why are they running away from here?” he murmured. His body jumped with shock. There was only one reason Isaac would be leaving and that was because he’d found out about Winterdown Farm, he must have got hold of one of Slattery’s men and the useless coward had caved in and sold them out. Well fuck this lot. Katia was at the farm, he had to get back there. But how to do that without getting his head blown off?

  “Jared,” he said into the microphone.

  “What?” he barked.

  Hayden hesitated. Hadn’t he wanted to speak to Isaac? Now might be his only chance.

  “What the fuck is it?” Jared repeated above the pinging of bullets.

  “I think Isaac’s heading back to the farm. I’m going back too, hopefully I’ll get there before he does.”

  “Oh holy fuck. You’d better save my mum.”

  But Hayden wasn’t even thinking of that mad cow. All he could think of was Katia. “I’m making a bolt for it, I need you to give me some covering fire. They’re stationed in the woods southeast of our position. You and your men need to concentrate your fire there.”

  “Can we shoot up?”

  Hayden wanted to punch the man. “Yes, I selected these rifles specially. They can do the job. Isaac’s men are a bunch of city gangsters, they won’t have thought about matching their weapons to the terrain.”

  “They’re outclassed,” said Jared, satisfaction in his voice. “Alright you lot, aim up at the woods, south east and fucking fire.”

  “Which way’s south east?” said a nasal voice.

  “For fuck’s sake,” said Jared. “To the left of the farmhouse you daft wanker.”

  As they opened fire Hayden crawled along the ground on his belly, using his elbows to pull himself along while clutching the gun. He’d had the sense to park his car behind a small outbuilding. He just hoped Isaac hadn’t already spotted it but, judging by their location, they hadn’t got round to that side of the property yet.

  “It’s working,” Jared told him. “They’re ducking down. Do it now.”

  Keeping Katia firmly in mind Hayden gritted his teeth, leapt out of the safety of the undergrowth and threw himself around the side of the outbuilding. He took a moment to assess his surroundings, making sure no one was there before wrenching open the car door and ducking inside. He stayed low in the car, hoping no bullets were going to come flying through the windows. When they didn’t he peered through the glass. He’d been right, Isaac had taken the other route up into the woods. He started the engine and headed down the dirt track he’d used to get here, a track he prayed Isaac didn’t know about. If he didn’t there was a good chance he’d reach Winterdown Farm before him.

  “If you don’t save my mum you’re fucking dead,” Jared told him.

  Hayden wrenched out the earpiece and tossed it aside. “You can fucking try.”

  He drove like a demon, bouncing the car along the track, appalled when there was a loud crunch from beneath the car and he surmised he’d hit a boulder. The car spluttered and lurched.

  “Please keep going,” he exclaimed.

  The car seemed to right itself and he writhed at the gear stick and slammed his foot down on the accelerator, pushing it as fast as he dared on this dodgy road. He could make it, the other road Isaac was on was an extra mile longer. All he had to do was not crash.

  “Jesus,” he gasped when the car hit a rock and the back end left the ground.

  He ground his teeth together as he grappled with the wheel, fighting to keep it on the road. “Come on you bastard,” he yelled as it juddered down the road on two wheels.

  Finally it righted itself and kept going. Determinedly Hayden pushed the car forward even harder. He couldn’t afford to lose a single second.

  When the farmhouse came into a view - a large, squat grey building partly hidden by a small copse of trees - he breathed a sigh of relief. There was only one road leading up to it and he couldn’t see a car parked there. He came to a screeching halt outside the back door, leapt out of the car and raced inside.

  “Katia?” he called, racing through the kitchen towards the lounge. “Katia?”

  “What is it?” she said, emerging in the hallway before him.

  “Thank God. We need to go. Now. Isaac’s coming.”

  Tanya strode out of the lounge, eyes flashing. “Where’s my son?” she demanded.

  “He’s on his way too.”

  “You left him?” she yelled.

  “I didn’t leave him, he gave me covering fire so I could get here and get you two out safely.”

  “You shouldn’t have left him behind.”

  “We’ll discuss this later. Now we need to move.”

  “But my son…”

  “Leave or I’ll drag you out of here,” Hayden yelled in her face.

  Tanya’s eyes narrowed before she nodded. “Fine. Let’s go.”

  Hayden led the way, rifle at the ready and heart racing. How the fuck had it come to this? They were the ones who were supposed to have the element of surprise.

  “I hear something,” whispered Katia.

  They all went silent, straining to listen. Then Hayden heard it - a gentle thud, as of a door closing.

  “Stay here,” he told them in a whisper.

  “No,” whispered back Katia, grabbing his arm. “Please don’t leave us.”

  “I’ll be back.”

  “You promise?”

  He nodded and kissed her. “Promise.”

  Hayden left, checking each corner before proceeding. When he heard approaching footsteps he went down low, rifle raised to his shoulder, waiting.

  It was Isaac himself who came round the corner. He hadn’t even noticed Hayden crouched there.

  “Drop the weapon,” Hayden told him steadily, gun aimed at his head.

  “Shit,” sighed Isaac. He’d done his research so he knew exactly who Hayden Brody was. Knowing he couldn’t possibly go up against an ex-paratrooper he decided to drop the weapon.

  “Kick it over here,” said Hayden, gaze so steady he didn’t even blink.

  Isaac did as he was told and Hayden smoothly scooped up the handgun and pocketed it without taking his eyes off Isaac.

  “You are smart,” commented Hayden.

  “So what are you waiting for? Shoot me then,” said Isaac casually.

  “I’m not going to do that.” Still without taking his eyes off him, Hayden reached into his inner jacket pocket, took out a card and tossed it at Isaac’s feet.

  “What’s this?” said Isaac.

  “Pick it up.”

  Isaac sighed and scooped it up. “It’s a phone number.”

  “Mine. You’re not the only one who wants the Slatterys gone. I’m on the inside. We can work together.”

  Marcus came through the door Isaac had, looking stunned to see his brother with a gun trained on him. In response he automatically raised his weapon.

  “Put it down you dick,” Isaac told his brother.

  “But…”

  “Shut it,” said Isaac. “Alright Hayden, this could work out. We’ll back off for now and we’ll be in touch. But if this is some sort of trick…”

  “It isn’t.”

  “If it is then I’ll fucking kill you and your blond bit too.”

  “This isn’t a trick Isaac. You’re smart and a good businessman. Jared’s a fucking liability. If this hadn’t all gone tits up today because of your smarts Jared could well have been dead by now.”

  “He would?”

  Hayden nodded. “I was going to kill him during all the action but that went out the window. Call me and we’ll make sure he’s taken out permanently.”

  Isaac nodded. “Alright Marcus, we’re out of here.”

  “When y
ou’re gone I’ll fire a couple of shots, for appearances sake. Don’t get spooked. Oh and Isaac, don’t forget I spared your life today. I could have killed you and your brother the second you came through the door.”

  Isaac gave one solemn nod.

  Hayden watched the two men back up towards the door, not turning their backs on him. They didn’t trust him but still, he couldn’t blame them. He didn’t trust them either.

  Hayden fired two shots into the wall at the opposite end of the corridor then raced back to Katia and Tanya.

  “What happened?” said Tanya as he grabbed Katia’s hand and led her to the door.

  “I saw a figure and fired but they ran.”

  “Who was it?”

  “Don’t know, he was wearing a mask.”

  “I bet it was one of Isaac’s men,” continued Tanya. “I’ll have the fucking lot of them slaughtered, the bastards.”

  Hayden just let her rant as they all got into his battered car, sweat running down his back, eyes frantically scanning the surroundings, terrified Isaac had decided against his offer and was going to kill the lot of them instead. He even cringed when he started the engine, half-expecting it to explode but nothing happened and they set off down the drive at a pelt, Katia gripping onto the dashboard, fear but still a lot of strength and determination in her eyes. He was so proud.

  Sweat trickled down Valentine’s back. He was certain he was being followed. For the past two days a shadow had been tailing him - at home, work, the golf course. He didn’t even feel safe at his Masonic lodge. He hadn’t seen anyone yet, it was only a feeling and part of him was wondering whether it was just paranoia knowing he held a dark secret of the Laws in the palm of his hand. He was painfully aware of what they’d done in the past, he’d gone to great expense to find out and he knew they’d taken life, particularly Ryan. It seemed he didn’t hesitate to eliminate anyone who got in his way and he’d just got in Ryan’s way spectacularly, who would do anything to protect his wife. But there was no way he could know he had the footage, unless that silly little tart Emily had blabbed. The sudden urge to visit her and find out gripped him. If she hadn’t told the Laws about the footage then there was no way they could know and he could be sure he was just being paranoid.