Reb lifted the flap and sat down beside Anna. “What’s happening?”
Anna indicated the vehicles. “Three men in the one on the left. Six people headed to the house. When Gabrielle joins us, we’ll see if we can use her abilities to hide us while we take out the drivers.”
“Good.” Reb yawned. “Not enough sleep. I’m losing my touch. On board a yacht, the watch change should be immediate.”
“You only had an hour,” Anna said. Gabrielle lifted the tent flap and looked inquiringly at Anna. She rubbed sleep from her eyes.
“Gabrielle, we have visitors. Can you, or both you and Niland, hide Reb, Lewis, and me as we approach the car, the one on the left? I’ve counted three men, all drivers. I don’t think anyone else is there. Some people have headed to the house. We’ll follow them once we’ve dealt with these guys.”
Gabrielle rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. Niland stood beside her; he had nodded when Anna requested his support for Gabrielle. The three teens had also crowded into the small area.
“Yes, Anna, we can help you,” Gabrielle said, in the middle of a yawn.
“Good. Lewis, get the three shotguns—one for me, one for Reb, and you can take the third. A handful of shells each, too, I think. Carys, you take the remaining shells and bring them with you when we head to the house. Owen, follow us with those ropes so we can tie up the drivers. I want the three of us with shotguns, to approach the vehicle. Gabrielle and Niland, you hide us. When we reach the car, Reb and Lewis, open the doors and aim your shotgun at the person nearest you. Lewis, you take the driver-side door. Reb, you and I will take each of the rear doors. We need to make sure we don’t target each other. Okay?”
Reb said, “As long as I can also use my knives.”
“If you have to. Now come on.”
The small group cautiously approached the vehicle with Anna moving to the far side, leaving Reb and Lewis to approach the near side. Five seconds after they reached the vehicle, the three gun-bearers each opened a door and pushed a shotgun into the face of the nearest person.
“Sit still, the three of you,” commanded Anna, her shotgun barrel only inches from the face of the driver. “Only move when I tell you. Otherwise, don’t even twitch. You”—she indicated the driver—“get out. I don’t advise sudden movements, understand? Close the door. Now stand with your legs apart and place both hands on the top of the vehicle. Lewis, if he moves, shoot him. Gabrielle, search him for weapons. You two, sit still. If anyone tries to reach for a weapon, I’ll shoot you. Okay?”
Gabrielle withdrew a pistol from the driver’s jacket and threw it toward the hidden tent to be collected later. Anna asked the driver, “Do you have anything else?”
“N-no, I haven’t.”
As the driver replied, Gabrielle had her hand on his wrist. She said, “He’s lying. He has a knife strapped to his left ankle and something called a knuckle-duster in his pants pocket.”
Reb said, “A knife fighter, huh? Can I take him? Please?”
“Not now. Maybe later. Gabrielle, step back. Lewis, keep your shotgun aimed at the middle of his back. At three feet, the shot will almost break him in two; he’ll never walk again, if he lives. You, driver, reach down and remove your knife, very slowly. Drop it on the ground behind you. Take out your knuckle-duster and do the same thing. Then put your hands behind your back. Owen, tie his hands. We’ll finish securing him when we deal with the other two.” Anna repeated the process for each of the drivers. Gabrielle collected a total of three pistols and five knives, plus a couple of knuckle-dusters. Anna told the men to lie face down, next to each other. She watched as Reb tied them more tightly.
“I always thought knowing how to tie knots would come in handy,” Reb commented. She looked at the three men. “If any of you try to get out of the ropes, you’ll choke your companions. If you all lie still, you’ll live. I know, it’s raining and cold. You should’ve thought about that, earlier.”
Anna gathered up all car keys and instructed Lewis to hide them in the woods. He returned after a few minutes.
“Done,” he said with a grin.
“You can make your 999 call now, Gabrielle. Tell them there’s been a shooting here at Bankton House and people are either dead or seriously wounded.” They waited while Gabrielle made the call, then Anna continued, “I guess it’ll take about fifteen minutes for the police and ambulances to reach here. It should give us enough time. Lewis, take control of the drivers’ cell phones.”
Lewis pocketed the phones while Reb gathered up the firearms the drivers had surrendered, albeit unwillingly. She gave a pistol each to Carys and Owen and kept the third one for herself. A quick search of the vehicles had not revealed any more weapons.
“Okay,” Anna said. “Let’s head to the house and rescue Mark and Scott. Gabrielle, I want you and Niland to hide us again when we’re close. Carys can help if she’s strong enough”
~~~
Mark said, “Looks like we’ve got movement on camera five.” He switched the video to the main monitor, which displayed infrared figures in the upper right quadrant of the screen. He counted six dark images against a white backdrop, moving down the lane toward the house.
“Too big for foxes. Unless they have two-legged deer in England, I think we have people visiting.”
The group halted. There was some activity but the images were too indistinct for Mark and Scott to determine what was happening. Suddenly the overhead lights in the security room dimmed, almost extinguishing. The security system operated with standby batteries until the backup generator kicked in. Mark counted down the seconds. When he reached thirty, the lights returned to normal. “I didn’t really expect them to cut our power. Our backups work. Thirty seconds to switch over is very good. I’m glad you checked the fuel line.”
“So am I.” Scott laughed. “Look, they started forward when the power went off and now they’ve stopped. They know the backup system’s working. I hope Sera didn’t sabotage anything else.”
“So do I.”
***
Chapter 38
Two people approached the front of the manor house—one carrying what appeared to be a battering ram. They stopped a few feet away from the door. Mark switched the cameras from infrared to full color. He recognized DI Goodwin and thought the second person was Nelson Cobb, who had been in the Cerberus meeting that he had attended. The man carrying the heavy ram stood it on end and waited.
“Midway,” announced the DI. “I know you have video cameras and assume you’re monitoring our approach. I have a warrant, issued under the Terrorism Act, for your arrest. The warrant includes any and all associates present on these premises.”
Mark reached for the microphone and pressed the button for the front door speaker. “Detective Inspector Goodwin. I understand you’re a member of SO15, the Special Branch section,” he said, “Do you mind raising your head so we can get a clearer image? We’ve been recording your actions from when you entered the property and would like to obtain a full facial image of each of you. We’ve offered direct video feeds to both the BBC and BSkyB. We’re waiting on a response from the BBC; it’s difficult to get management decisions from them after midnight. However, Sky is getting our feed as of now. CNN wants a live feed, which they’ll broadcast in America. They’re aware of some of my history. Now, you were saying?”
“Damn you, Midway,” said the DI. Exasperation colored the timbre of her voice. “I have a warrant for your arrest. Open the door.”
“Just a moment, DI. We’re splicing in some of our videos of meetings between you and the Chairman. I believe your own police force and Interpol have warrants for the Chairman’s arrest? He’s here, with you, right?”
“Who? I’ve never heard of him,” DI Goodwin said.
“Some of the videos we’re streaming prove you’re lying,” Mark said. “You said something about a warrant for my arrest. Can you be more explicit? Perhaps identify the charges? Provide some details of the evidence?”
DI Goodwi
n ignored Mark’s comments. “I don’t believe you’re streaming a video to anyone. Bill, get that door open, now.”
“I think you know you won’t get far; he’ll only damage the woodwork. You need a SWAT team. Or a far more legitimate request to gain entry.” He put his hand over the microphone and said to Scott. “Where are the other people? I think the DI’s a diversion. Replay the tapes and try to find where they disappeared to, quickly.”
Scott was juggling multiple feeds as well as replaying the tapes.
Mark said, “I’ll look after the feeds. See if you can find the Chairman.”
“Okay. I think this is it. They split up. Two went to the right and two to the left. I can’t identify which is the Chairman, yet. They’re heading to the sides or the rear of the house. Let me track them. Now that’s strange—there are only three people at the rear of the house. Someone’s disappeared.”
The heavy and regular thump of the battering ram was beginning to penetrate the security room. Then, the noise eased.
“The guy with the sledge hammer must have knocked a hole in the door,” Mark said. “Listen, I can hear sirens. This will make life interesting.”
~~~
Anna led the way along the lane toward the house. She could hear voices on a loudspeaker but wasn’t able to work out what they were saying. Reb said, “I think Mark’s talking to Goodwin.”
“Yeah, she’s at the front door. Look, there are two of them.”
It took less than a minute for the group to reach a position within ten feet of the two police officers; they had arrived undetected, hidden by the combined efforts of Gabrielle and Niland.
“Gabrielle, Niland, you can release your shield,” Anna whispered to the children. She raised her voice and said, “Detective Inspector, I believe you’re trespassing. Stop and surrender your weapons.” She aimed the shotgun well above the heads of the officers and pulled the trigger. She pumped a new shell, ready to fire again.
The officers spun around. Goodwin pulled off her glove and reached for her handgun. Her companion had dropped his battering ram and was also reaching for his weapon.
Anna said, “Reb, you’ve got buckshot in your shotgun. Fire a round at each. Be careful to not aim at their faces.”
“With delight,” replied Reb. She fired each barrel. “It’s the first time I’ve fired at police officers, though.”
She broke the shotgun, ejected the empty shells and dropped two new shells into the twin barrels. “Okay, I’m ready for another burst.”
Anna held her arm out, to prevent Reb from firing again. “Well done,” she said.
“Years of shooting at sea. I never thought all my target practice would come in handy.”
Her shots had hit both officers as they were about to raise their weapons. Their pistols were now on the ground. The buckshot had drawn blood.
“Goodwin, hands above your head. Both of you,” instructed Anna. “Turn around. Remove your helmets and jackets. Get on the ground, face down. You know the process.”
“You’re in a world of trouble, young lady,” spluttered Goodwin. Her companion remained silent. They both followed Anna’s directions when she motioned with the shotgun. Reb pushed the handguns away and Owen picked them up.
Anna said, “I can hear sirens. The local police must be on their way. This will be difficult for you to explain, DI.” She ignored the string of curses from Goodwin as she and Reb handcuffed the prisoners.
“Reb, See if you can get Mark or Scott to open the door.”
Reb went to the door and it swung open at her touch. Anna said, “Lewis, you and Owen stand guard here. Take my shotgun. It’s loaded with heavier shot. I think it’ll be another five minutes or more before the police reach us. Gabrielle and Niland, please shield them when the police arrive; we don’t want anyone getting shot at. Other than these two, at least. Come on, Reb. Let’s see what’s happening inside.”
~~~
“Scott, there’s movement near the kitchen. We might have missed an entry into the basement. Perhaps our friendly Chairman knows of some hidden access. Let the team in the front door and I’ll go see if we have an intruder.”
When Mark returned to the security room, he said, “Nothing there—”
He stopped short, halfway into the room. The Chairman was holding a pistol to Scott’s head. Scott said, “I thought he was you, returning.”
The Chairman said, “Shut up. Give me any trouble at all and your friend here is dead.” He examined the monitor display of the front of the house. “What happened? Why are those two still outside?”
Scott shrugged. Mark said, “We captured them. I thought they’d be happier to remain outside.”
The Chairman frowned. “I find that hard to believe but I see you’ve handcuffed them. Now, I want you both, very carefully, to move to the sitting room. The larger one. We can be more relaxed, there.”
Mark edged out of the security room, followed by Scott and the Chairman. He raised his voice and asked, “Which sitting room?”
“Don’t be a fool,” replied the Chairman. “Just lead the way. Now, where are your guests?”
“We’re here by ourselves,” Scott said.
“We sent the others away. They should be in London by now.”
“Don’t try to play me for an idiot,” the Chairman snarled.
Mark bit back his response. It might be prudent not to make the man lose his temper. The Chairman remained behind Scott, with Mark leading the way. He entered and stood in the middle of the room, waiting for instructions from their captor and for an opportunity to make a move.
The Chairman looked around. “Good, you haven’t changed it. I’ve always liked this room.” He chuckled at the surprise on Mark’s face. “Who do you think purchased this property? I had to have somewhere decent to stay when I visited Cerberus UK.”
“Chairman, or whatever you call yourself, I suggest you put down your weapon. Those sirens are coming closer. The police will take your friends into custody and you’ll be next. I believe there are a number of warrants out for your arrest, Interpol and British.”
The Chairman laughed. “Oh. I don’t think I’m in danger, here. I have you two subdued. I’ll soon have your sister and the others. Three of my men will be in here in a minute. They’ll take care of the ladies. Except Reb, of course. She’s mine.”
Mark ignored the latter comment. He had to keep his temper under control. “Perhaps we can watch TV while we wait? I think Sky has an interesting news program.” He didn’t wait for the Chairman’s permission and reached for the remote, turned on the TV and selected BSkyB.”
“Put down the damn remote—what the hell? What’s going on? What are you doing?”
“The cameras follow us,” Mark explained. “We’re live streaming to a couple of news channels. I think they’re running a major item on corporate and police corruption. Their audience probably increased after we captured DI Goodwin and her companion. Your face has just been seen by more than five million viewers, and that’s at two a.m. When the day begins, you’ll be all over the media.”
“The hell, I will. You can add your death to the viewers’ excitement.” The Chairman was white-faced and appeared ready to explode with anger. But then he regained control. “This is a trick of some kind.”
There were sounds of scuffles and shots fired from outside the sitting room. Mark said, “I think that’s the end of your companions. Too bad. I wanted to meet them.”
The scene displayed on the television screen suddenly shifted to a shot of three bodies, unmoving. Mark recognized it as a scene from the kitchen. To his relief, the bodies were all male, total strangers. He indicated the new scene. “They’re your men, I assume? They’re unlikely to help you, now.”
The Chairman made a sound like a wounded animal at bay. He shouted, “Reb, come here or I’ll kill Midway, your so-called brother. You and I have unfinished business.” In his anger, he fired a shot from his pistol.
~~~
Scott watched in dism
ay as Mark crumpled to the floor. The scene on TV switched back to the sitting room and showed Mark on the floor and the Chairman with his pistol still aimed at his victim. A few moments later Reb appeared in the doorway.
“You wanted to see me?” she asked in a quiet voice.
“Yes, you bitch. Come here,” the Chairman shouted. He caught sight of Anna standing behind Reb. “And you, too.” He waved his weapon.
Reb stepped into the room, her hands down by her sides.
Anna asked, “Why should I do as you say?”
“Because if you don’t, I’ll finish off your little boyfriend.” He pointed his pistol at Mark.
Reb threw two knives with utmost force. The first knife pierced the Chairman’s throat and cut through the major arteries in his neck. The razor blade of the second, heavier, knife sliced through his spinal column. His weapon fell from his powerless hand. Dark red arterial blood sprayed across the room. The Chairman collapsed, his eyes wide. Reb closed her eyes and slowly sank to the floor. Scott moved to her side. Anna rushed to Mark and held his head trying to stem the blood pouring from his head wound.
A uniformed policeman entered the sitting room and was momentarily speechless when he saw the blood splattered scene. After a moment he asked, “Alright, what’s been happening here?” No one answered.
He was pushed out of the way by two emergency personnel. The first one into the room checked Mark’s pulse.
“He’s alive.”
***
Chapter 39
Maeve took her place on the same uncomfortable chair in Schmidt’s hospital room. She removed a file and her laptop from her briefcase. The file was from one of her contacts in MI5. The laptop contained e-mails she wanted to read. Two feet away, Schmidt lay in his hospital bed, with monitoring devices still transmitting their messages.
She began to read aloud from the MI5 report. It summarized a confrontation in England between Midway and some rogue elements from Cerberus UK. Somehow, Midway had live-streamed videos of the confrontation to several news channels together with file videos of meetings between the Chairman and the leaders of the breakaway group. She shook her head. It would take some astute political maneuvering before Cerberus UK recovered.
Mark Midway Box Set: Mark One, Mark Two, Mark Three, and Mark Four Page 67
