Capture or Kill

by Tom Marcus

  ‘Alex is east on a standby.’

  ‘Riaz, taking a look now . . . STANDBY STANDBY on the vehicle. It’s parked on the north side of Agar Grove, facing west at the junction of Marquis Road. Needs checking.’

  ‘Ryan is on foot now, checking.’

  I keep going past them, and it doesn’t take long for Ryan to get back on the net as I pull into a row of parked cars on a parallel street. ‘From Ryan, vehicle empty, vehicle empty.’ He pauses, maybe to get his breath back. ‘I’ve got direct on the vehicle and can give it away if anyone comes to it. I can also see most of the east side of the street, but need someone at the western end.’

  ‘Claire is west.’

  There’s a covert message on the net, which means Ryan obviously now can’t talk.

  Fuck, have we overlooked something? ‘Ryan, permission please from Logan?’

  Ryan continues to remain covert and not talk openly.

  ‘Yes, heard, roger, thank you. Ops from Logan, do we have information the unidentified male was murdered in the park? Could Stone Fist and Iron Sword have done him to cover their tracks?’

  It could be, thanks to Alan’s technical wizardry, that instead of fucking up, we’ve lucked out and actually found the brothers. And if they’ve killed one of their co-conspirators then they’re either panicking, or they’re so near to their endgame that it doesn’t matter. Which means we have to act fast. And we can’t afford to mess it up this time. But there’s no response from Leyton-Hughes. I’m about to lose my rag when he finally answers, his voice deadpan. ‘The police are treating it as an unexplained death, according to the information I’ve seen. Nothing obvious at the scene.’

  ‘Ryan, do we still have permission?’

  Ryan sends the covert message for yes.

  ‘Roger, thanks. Ops, if they’re killing people already, we need the go-ahead to take them out.’

  Another agonizing pause, then: ‘Negative. That’s a negative. We need to know what the endgame is first. Ops out.’

  No! Every fibre in my body is telling me he’s wrong. Why is he hesitating? Does he know something we don’t? Or has he just lost his nerve? I’m trying to think of what else I can say to make him change his mind, when Ryan shouts up on the net, breaking his silence.

  13

  ‘From Ryan, Iron Sword and Stone Fist out of an address on Agar Grove just west of the car, walking west. Wait one.’

  Moments ago it’d seemed like we’d hit a brick wall, and Blindeye’s first operation had ended in frustration and failure. It was hard to avoid the conclusion that the brothers had outsmarted us. But now we’ve got the bastards again, and there’s no way we’re going to fucking let them go a second time.

  Ryan’s hushed tones tell us he can’t talk openly without attracting attention, but we’re keen to let him know he’s not alone in the hunt and we all instantly respond.

  ‘Claire is backing from a distance.’

  ‘Roger. Iron Sword is black on blue, Stone Fist blue on blue.’ He’s still whispering but otherwise calm and in control, telling us succinctly what we need to know to keep lock onto them visually – the colours of their clothing. I decide I need to get into a better position, to help Ryan out, so I move my car around to a side street that covers a cut-through the brothers could potentially use and instantly spot Claire, sporting a very convincing pregnancy bump. A brilliant piece of improvisation; not even the best counter-surveillance techniques employed by the Russians, who are the best in the world at spotting surveillance, would be able to identify Claire as a member of a deniable MI5 team. And it sounds as if the extra layer of disguise is well-advised. ‘For information, they are extremely aware. Several look backs already, continuing westbound towards the junction of St Augustine’s Road.’

  ‘Claire, roger.’

  As the brothers continue to walk down this street, with Ryan and Claire’s constant communications keeping us aware of their every movement, I begin to feel the net is tightening. As long as no one’s cover is blown, they’ll need to pull off something very sophisticated to slip out of our grasp. But as we follow them through a bustling part of the city, that still leaves a big question unanswered. How and when are we going to take them out? There’s the age-old dilemma of knowing how much rope to give them. Reel them in too soon and you risk not knowing what their endgame is; too late and you risk letting them pull the trigger. We need to identify every player in this plot. The man found dead in the park was connected to these brothers, we know that. But was he giving them orders, helping them with logistics, or trying to help them in some other way? The trouble is, arresting them is not part of the plan.

  There’s only one way this can end, and that’s with us killing them. And an execution on a busy London street in broad daylight isn’t exactly an option. For the moment, our job is to keep control of them, like a regular A4 team. But at some point we’re going to have to make a difficult decision, or Jeremy Leyton-Hughes is going to have to make the decision and we’ll be expected to carry it out.

  Ryan interrupts my thoughts. ‘That’s both targets into an electronics shop on the north side called Everything Electrical. Claire, can you?’

  ‘Yes yes. I’ll give them a minute to settle first.’

  With Claire’s pregnancy disguise, she’ll be able to go close in to the brothers to see exactly what they are up to, before dropping back and changing her profile completely. The team closes in tighter, to provide Claire with some security and to make sure we pick the brothers up as they leave. But what we want to know is what they leave with. Any purchases from an electrical shop could give us the vital piece of intelligence we need to figure out their endgame.

  ‘I’m going in now.’

  ‘Roger that, Claire, we have a tight cordon for you.’

  Even I’m almost fooled by Claire’s act as she walks in, holding her back and grimacing like someone who’s utterly fed up with being pregnant. Suddenly I feel a dark shadow closing over me. She’s a fake mum just like I’m a fake dad; she doesn’t really have a baby and I don’t have a son any more. Damn it, Logan, focus on the job. I push the thought aside as Claire comes back on the net.

  ‘Message from Claire inside, the brothers have split up inside the shop. Iron Sword looking at video cameras, Stone Fist is picking up webcams. Message ends. I’ve got direct on the exit.’

  Why split up? Why not stay together to make sure they are both happy with what they get?

  ‘Ops, roger.’

  As London goes about its business on the streets outside, I park up and walk into a coffee shop just east of the electrical shop. The brothers are well covered: Ryan has a view of the exit, Claire is inside, and the rest of the team will be blending into the background and staying out of the way, so I’m going to grab some food and drink while I can. I order my coffee and a toastie and use the toilet while my food is being warmed up. Another message comes on the net from Claire, via Ryan.

  ‘Message from Claire, Iron Sword is buying a compact video camera, on the higher end of the price scale at £600. He’s at the counter now, paying cash. Stone Fist still looking at webcams at the other end of the shop. Message ends.’

  ‘Ops, roger.’

  Back in the car and wolfing down my toastie, I nod to myself. A typical terrorist purchase. Most often, video cameras are posted to fighters overseas, or used in target reconnaissance. The fact he’s paying in cash is another sign they’re wary of being traced. Hopefully this information will help Leyton-Hughes develop a plan, while also letting Alan know there are potential technical attack options; if it’s electronic, it can be manipulated. Ryan relays another of Claire’s messages while maintaining his cover outside. I almost miss him as he stands in a bus shelter, facing the right way for the next bus, completely natural.

  ‘Message from Claire. Stone Fist is purchasing a webcam for cash, paid with a twenty-pound note. Iron Sword is waiting by the exit. Message ends.’

  The brothers are certainly on top of their operational security. If I w
as planning a major attack while trying to evade the security services, this is how I’d do it. Local electrical shops, pay cash, move around, good counter- and anti-surveillance, and no electronic communications at all.

  ‘Ryan, it’s Ops, permission to pass a message?’

  ‘Negative, standby standby, that’s both out out and continuing westbound on the north side.’

  Not for the first time, I’m worried that Leyton-Hughes’s lack of operational experience is going to screw things up. He should have understood from Claire’s message that Iron Sword was waiting by the exit and we were about to have a move.

  ‘Roger that, Craig is backing, mate. I’ll text Claire when it’s OK for her to leave.’

  Even though the brothers are out, we can’t assume they are going to walk clean away or that they haven’t taken any notice of Claire.

  ‘Thanks Craig. From Ryan, that’s both continuing westbound on the north side, each carrying a black plastic bag from the shop. Guys, if we can have a couple ahead of them at key junctions it will mean we don’t have to follow directly behind them and risk being seen. They are looking back on their route now, very aware.’

  ‘Logan, roger, I’ll be ahead.’

  ‘Alex, likewise.’

  ‘Riaz, roger.’

  I know this part of London well. They’re heading straight to Camden Town, with Regent’s Park on the other side. We need three times the amount of people we have on the ground right now, at least, to make this a secure follow. And what if Leyton-Hughes gives the order to take them out?

  ‘I’m out and changing profile now,’ Claire lets us know. ‘Thanks, guys.’ Alex and Claire have already shown the range of skills they bring to the Blindeye team, but female operators have another advantage over the males: the number of ways they can change their appearance naturally.

  Easing the car out into the traffic, I’m aiming to get ahead to the major junctions and tube stations, while Ryan updates us on the brothers’ movements. ‘From Ryan, continuing westbound—’

  Suddenly he’s lost comms, his transmission cut off halfway through. I’ve no idea what’s happened, but Craig is backing so should be able to take control quickly. I turn down a side street just short of the major junction, ready to jump out.

  ‘Ryan’s in trouble!’ Shit. Craig’s tone is still calm but there’s a hard edge to it. Leaping out of the car, I start running towards where I think Ryan is likely to be. There’s no point diving onto the net saying I’m responding – Ryan will need the net clear. Rounding the corner, I slow to walking pace and use my peripheral vision to try and locate Craig without showing out to the brothers. I can see Iron Sword and Stone Fist, dressed in dark jackets over their shalwar kameez, still walking west towards Camden Town and the major junction. Fuck. We have to keep hold of them, but clearly Ryan needs help. Where the fuck is he? The bus stop was his last location – I focus on that and then zoom out, but there’s no sign. What I do see is Craig running towards the bus stop from the other direction as Ops comes over the net. ‘Who’s got control of the brothers?’ he asks, his voice controlled but higher-pitched than normal, as if he’s close to panicking. But Alex is straight on, with Riaz backing her up.

  ‘Alex has, continuing west. I’m OK for now, I’ve got Riaz backing on his bike.’

  OK, that means I can leave the brothers to them and concentrate on Ryan. I see Craig sprinting past the bus stop. Where’s he going? Doesn’t matter, go with him. Ryan needs help. I dodge my way through the traffic, trying to catch up with him. I can’t disguise the fact that I’m running as if my life depended on it, so if the brothers aren’t working on their own on these streets, my cover’s blown for sure. And if they have got backup, did they take out Ryan?

  I can’t lose anyone else. I won’t. If we are being targeted by people working with the brothers, then we have to come out fighting.

  Claire drives past me to join Alex and Riaz, no glances exchanged like there would be in the movies, as I close the gap on Craig just before a woman in jogging pants and a dark T-shirt staggers out of a wooden doorway squeezed between two shop fronts. Craig darts past her and barges through the door. It’s obvious Ryan must be in there, but I force myself to slow down to a walk, hoping no one paid any attention to Craig or the woman, who’s now limping awkwardly down the street. Ryan may be in trouble, but the last thing we need right now is the police turning up.

  I push through, closing the door behind me. It’s dark, but I can make out a narrow mouldy-carpeted corridor leading to a steep set of stairs.

  ‘Lads! You OK?’ I want them to hear me, but I’m not quite shouting, as I don’t want people on the street to hear me. There’s no answer, but I can hear scuffling from somewhere at the end of the corridor, then a thump, like a body being smashed against a wall and a series of strangled grunts. If Ryan and Craig are fighting for their lives, I have to find them. Now.

  I quickly feel my way forward through the gloom until I find a narrow door tucked in behind the stairs and pull it open. Craig and Ryan are struggling with two men in a bedsit that looks as if it was a wreck even before the fight started. A huge guy in a grey hoodie with a shaved head and red, sweating face has Craig in a headlock and is about to smash his head against the wall. I can see Ryan and another, shorter guy wrestling in the corner. I step forward and deliver a short jab into the big man’s face to get his attention. With blood spurting from his broken nose, he instantly let’s go of Craig, but before he can pull himself upright I grab the back of his hoodie and power my knee up into his jaw with a satisfying crunch, before slamming a right cross into his bloodied face, which puts him down for good. I quickly turn to my left.

  The other guy has managed to roll on top of Ryan and is trying to force a broken bottle into his face as Ryan holds onto his wrist and tries to keep away from the jagged glass. Ryan is losing the battle, and fast. I kick the guy as hard as I can in the ribs then grab the hand holding the bottle; I twist hard, breaking his wrist. Ryan wriggles out from under the now-screaming guy, scrambles to his feet and kicks him in the side of the head with his heel. The guy curls into a ball, cradling his broken wrist.

  Ryan picks up the broken bottle and for a split second I expect him to start jabbing it into this fucker on the floor. Composure takes hold of him, though, and he adjusts his clothing as he takes a moment to get his breath back. ‘Thanks, guys.’

  ‘What the fuck just happened?’ I ask him.

  He nods towards the bigger of the two men, now lying in a heap on the floor. ‘That big fucker there had a woman pinned down on the stairs. I was walking past when the second cunt walked through the door to join him and I saw them attacking her. They tried to run off through the back door when I turned up, but it’s locked so they came back and had a go. Let’s get out of here.’

  Craig holds a hand up, struggling to get his breath back. ‘Wait a minute, mate. So it was just random? These guys are nothing to do with us?’

  ‘Nah, just wrong place, wrong time.’ Ryan doesn’t realize yet the thought process we both had before bursting in here as Craig continues to question him.

  ‘I thought maybe these two were working for the brothers, spotted one of us on the street and decided to take you out?’

  The penny drops as Ryan notices the confusion on our faces. ‘I’m sorry, guys, I couldn’t stand by and let them do that. It’s fucking disgusting.’

  I shake my head. Ryan’s right. I look at the woman’s attackers, rolling around like a couple of drunks. ‘Cunts.’ They’re nothing to do with the brothers, but somehow it all gets connected in my head: these lowlifes, the brothers, and the fucker who took my family.

  I walk over to them both. ‘So you like to rape women do you?’ I know what’s coming, I can’t stop the rage within me. It’s like someone has turned the heating up to full, my blood is boiling. Lifting my leg high, I quickly drive my foot down hard on the big man’s knee, and it breaks with a loud, rewarding snap. Switching onto the other man, I start stamping on his exposed gro
in as hard as I possibly can. I want to completely destroy them, to keep kicking until I’m sure they’ll never be able to do this again. It feels good. Really good.

  It seems like only a few seconds go by before they are both completely unconscious and not reacting to my punishment. I feel frustrated, unsatisfied with the lack of whimpers or screams.

  What’s the point in stamping and punching them if they can’t feel it? The bottle.

  Adjusting my clothing, I bend down to pick the broken bottle up. I lean over the two on the floor; they belong to me now. ‘Let’s do something you’ll always remember’ I say, but as I kneel down, Craig rushes towards me and hauls me up. The horror in his face brings me back to reality.

  I’m out of breath. Am I embarrassed or horrified at how easily I lost control here? Fuck. What’s happening to me?

  Craig can see I’m struggling, ‘Brother, we stay on task. Yeah?’

  Looking at Craig, then at Ryan, I’m grateful for them both. They have my back no matter what. But in the pit of my stomach I’m starting to feel like I’m lost. My family was ripped away from me, and maybe my humanity went with them. Hurting these would-be rapists felt good. I’m not sure, now I’ve tasted how good that felt, that I’ll be able to contain it.

  But there is a bigger picture here. Bury it, Logan.

  ‘Yeah, back on task.’

  I walk towards the door leading to the corridor and the stairs and Craig quickly follows suit, but Ryan stops us. ‘Wait, not the front. She might have gone for help and be on her way back. We need to go out the back, we’ll have to kick it in.’

  Craig barges into the door. Thankfully the frame is weaker than the door itself and as Ryan joins him their combined weight splinters it open. Hopping over the broken wood, we exit onto a little cobbled alley at the back of the shops. Ryan gets on the net as we turn back onto the main road.