Go Out With A Bang!

by Gary Weston

  Go Out With A Bang!

  Title Page

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 46

  Chapter 47

  Chapter 48

  Chapter 49

  Chapter 50

  Chapter 51

  Chapter 52

  Chapter 53

  Chapter 54

  Chapter 55

  Chapter 56

  Chapter 57

  Chapter 58

  Chapter 59

  Chapter 60

  Chapter 61

  Chapter 62

  Chapter 63

  Chapter 64

  Chapter 65

  Chapter 66

  Chapter 67

  Chapter 68

  Chapter 69

  Chapter 70

  Chapter 71

  Chapter 72

  Chapter 73

  Chapter 74

  Chapter 75

  Chapter 76

  Go Out With A Bang!

  By Gary Weston

  SMASHWORDS EDITION

  www.Smashwords.com

  PUBLISHED BY:

  Gary Weston on Smashwords

  Go Out With A Bang! © 2013 Gary Weston

  All rights reserved

  Smashwords Edition License Notes

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. The ebook contained herein constitutes a copyrighted work and may not be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, or stored in or introduced into an information storage and retrieval system in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the copyright owner, except in the case of brief quotation embodied in critical articles and reviews. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  This ebook is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer's imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  Chapter 1

  Detective Senior Sergeant Stanley Morris could taste blood. They were about to close in. He could feel it, sense it, smell it. Solid, to the book police work would tip the case in their favour. The call had come through to his office a mere two hours earlier, and the mighty arm of the law had swung into action. Senior Sergeant John Hancock, head of the Tactical Enforcement team were sent in and they had contained the area in minutes. Nobody would get past him.

  'Any activity, Vince?'

  Detective Sergeant Vincent Crowe had just walked into Morris's office. 'Quiet as. The area is sealed up tighter than a drum. No gunfire for the last hour.'

  'If it wasn't costing the tax payer a small fortune, I'd be tempted to leave them boxed in overnight. Hancock ready for us?'

  Crowe nodded. 'The big guy says he's happy for us to stroll in and take all the glory.'

  'Sounds like John. Remind me to give him a big mention in the press release after the arrest. Let's get the Ferret.'

  They left the office with an almost casual saunter, confident that sheer professionalism and teamwork would win the day. Because firearms were involved, the case was not without its dangers and there was no room for complacency. It called for cool heads and smart decision making.

  The two men walked through the corridors, past the cafeteria entrance on the left and then the single flight of steps that led to the Chief's office on the right. They walked smartly on to the hi-tech world of Detective Constable Fred Ducket. It was generally considered the rank of constable was something of a misnomer when used to describe the now legendary Ferret. Other city centres were in the process of replicating what Ducket had put together.

  The cyberspace wizard had been only too pleased to work with other headquarters around the country in how to get the best from the highly modified computer hardware and software. Worldwide patents had been put in place to protect the specific advancements and Ducket had put together a training program for the ones selected to get their departments running efficiently. Young, fast-tracked, energetic geeky types with at least three years field experience as detective's were chosen. It was hailed as a blueprint of the future of police-work. There was just one problem. There was only one Ferret.

  Morris and Crowe suspected there was more to the circulating speculation that at the very highest levels, the Ferret was being considered to be put in charge of all the hi-tech departments, nationwide. Only time would tell. They came to the workplace Ferret had created, three times the size of Morris's own office. It seemed every time Morris ventured into Ducket's domain, things had been moved around, added to, expanded on and extended. And the magician who made it sing was usually in the middle of it. But not on this occasion.

  'Locked,' said Morris.

  'See?' said Crowe. 'It's brilliant deductions like that which is the reason you are a senior sergeant, and I'm merely a lowly sergeant.'

  'I wouldn't argue with that. So where is he?'

  'Washroom?' Crowe suggested.

  'He has his own. Fitted last week.'

  'I bet he has some hi-tech gizmo to wipe his...'

  'We have to go,' said Morris. 'He'd only be a spectator. I'll try calling him en-route.'

  'Fine.'

  Crowe drove them through the city to the scene of crime as Morris tried Ducket's number. 'Can you believe that? His phone's off.'

  'Don't worry about it. We're here.'

  It was nightfall and huge spotlights lit up the cordoned off area. Flashing lights cast eerie disturbing shadows and the tension was palpable. A very large dark shape blocked out the light as Crowe parked up. The shape growled.

  'Nice of you suits to show up,' said Senior Sergeant John Hancock. The face of the Head of Tactical Enforcement was shielded by the dark visor, but Morris could still feel the piercing stare. He and Crowe got out of the car.

  'Anything interesting happening?' Morris asked.

  'Not yet. I was supposed to be wining and dining my wife for our thirteenth wedding anniversary. When I finally get home, now that'll be interesting.'

  'Hmm,' said Crowe. 'Thirteen's such an unlucky number. Might have been a good thing you missed it.'

  'John,' said Morris, ignoring the banter. 'How do we get them out?'

  'We have se
veral options. One, we wait them out. Might take a few days, depending on how well stocked they are with provisions, but they'll come out eventually. Three days tops.'

  Morris shook his head and said, 'Thirty officers, three days and nights. I'd love to see the Chief's face when he saw the overtime bill. What else you got?'

  'Gas grenades through the windows.'

  Crowe looked up at the brand new commercial building, three floors of steel and glass. It was the new Petroxel Haynes Company corporate headquarters, opened by the mayor only a week ago, due to be fully occupied and buzzing in two days time.

  'Hmm. And we have armed bad guys in there, who could be in any of the one hundred and sixteen rooms. To fill the building with gas that way would mean smashing most of the windows. Expensive.'

  'I knew that,' said Hancock. 'You asked for options; I was going through the options.'

  Morris said, 'Tell me you have one we can use where we can all get home before we retire and doesn't end up in the entire building having to be demolished?'

  'Just one,' said Hancock. 'We get a chopper to take a dozen of my men over the top of the building, they abseil onto the roof and fill the air-conditioning vents with gas.'

  Morris and Crowe looked at each other approvingly. Morris said. 'I like that John. You should run with that one.'

  Hancock pointed a gloved finger at the sky, where a chopper was already flying directly overhead. It hovered above the gleaming edifice of modern mans ingenuity; the lines were dropped out and twelve top Tactical officers abseiled down to the roof. They ran to the rows of air-conditioning vents, hurling their gas grenades inside. As they raced back to the lines dangling from the hovering chopper, the entire building exploded.

  Each corner of the structure disintegrated sending concrete, steel and glass flying through the air in all directions. With the outer shell destroyed, the concrete roof caved inwards, and a huge ball of flames roared from the middle, missing the men on the lines by a heartbeat as the chopper took them higher into safety. Officers on the ground were diving and running for cover, as tons of fragments blasted through the air. The ground was still shaking as the whole building collapsed in on itself. Then, slowly everything subsided and settled and the roaring noise suddenly stopped.

  'Ooops,' said Crowe, brushing dust off his shoulders.

  Chapter 2

  Nobody slept that night. In the morning, forty fire appliances were still hosing down what was left of the Petroxel Haynes building, where sporadic fires flared up from beneath the rubble. The conference room of the police headquarters had standing room only. The Chief demanded order and got it. The media had been corralled to one side of the room, Detective Inspector Andersen, Morris, Crowe and Hancock sat quietly to the side of the Chief. They all looked as if their souls had been surgically removed from their bodies.

  The Chief said, 'I have prepared a statement. You will all be issued with a copy. For the record. At eighteen hundred hours, yesterday evening, Dr. Ralph Thorman, Chief Executive Officer of the Petroxel Haynes International Company, took a phone call from a man demanding fifty million dollars or their new flagship building would be destroyed. We immediately despatched our Tactical Enforcement Team, headed by one of our most experienced officers, Senior Sergeant John Furlong.

  On arrival at the building, the Tactical officers were fired at from the top floor of the building. The Tactical team surrounded the entire building, and were shot at from all four sides. It has to be said, however, the shots were well short of the officers, to warn them off, rather than cause harm. At this time, no exchange shots were fired. It was impossible for the criminals to escape from the building undetected. A wait and see approach was adopted, and occasional intermittent bursts of gunfire were fired at the ground between the building and the police officers.

  By 20:00 hours, no more shots were heard. It was assumed that they had possibly exhausted all their ammunition. A plan was devised to have officers dropped on the roof from a helicopter to fill the building with gas by throwing gas grenades into the air-conditioning vents, in order to force an evacuation of the building. Instantly after the gas cannisters being deployed, a series of controlled explosives, planted by the criminals, destroyed the building. The police officers were fortunate to escape with just minor injuries received by two of them. The building has been completely destroyed, and we are reasonably confident that the criminals were killed. Which brings us pretty much up to date. Questions.'

  There was a barrage of questions from the media. The Chief used his significant presence to bring order to the proceedings. 'You there.'

  'Melissa Trubshore, Channel Nine News. Could the gas grenades thrown in by the police have caused the explosions?'

  John Hancock stood up, expression fixed. 'No.' That was all he said, then he sat back down again.

  'Dave Marton, City Observer. Did the Petroxel Haynes company offer to pay the demands?'

  Detective Inspector Andersen took that one. 'We were contacted by Mr Ralph Thorman, C E O of the Petrolex Haynes and our advice was sought. Our advice was not to pay the demands and allow us the opportunity to either remove the criminals or if there were no alternatives, negotiate on their behalf. No money was paid out by the company.'

  'Sally Carlton, Independent News. In hindsight, were there any alternative procedures that could have been followed that would have given a more positive outcome?'

  Hancock growled, 'Unlikely. Also a superfluous question seeing as how the criminals blew up the building.'

  'Paul Forbes, National Radio News. Why would they blow themselves up? Do you think it was some kind of suicide pact?'

  Andersen said, 'Possibly, but more likely an accidental detonation set off prematurely. That's merely conjecture on my part at this time.'

  'Tom Grover, Channel One News. How long do you think it will be before the bodies are recovered.'

  The Chief said, 'It could take weeks to extricate their remains from such extensive devastation. Ladies and gentlemen. This press conference is now concluded. Any additional information will be released as and when it becomes available, at the appropriate times. Thank you for your cooperation.'

  The media filed out and the Chief closed the door after them. He stood before his officers. 'What the bloody hell happened last night? I want answers and I want them soon.'

  He stormed out and found sanctuary in his office. From the drawer in his desk he took out a strip of paracetamol and washed two down. The phone on his desk rang.

  'Poppy. Hi.'

  'Uncle Bernie. Have you seen Fred?'

  'Fred? No. There's been such a lot of crazy stuff going on at the moment, I hadn't noticed him. I thought he was with you?'

  'I've been trying to phone him. His phone is off.'

  'He didn't go home last night?'

  'No, Uncle Bernie. I saw all that on the news and thought he was trying to help out.'

  'Poppy. I...Give me a moment.' He pressed the old fashioned brass intercom on his desk. 'Monica. Any idea where Fred Ducket is?'

  'I'll try to find him, Sir.'

  'Poppy. Monica is trying to locate him. What time is it? Hell. I feel like I've not gone home in a week. Fred should normally be starting work by now. Hang on. Monica?'

  'Sorry, Sir. I can't locate him anywhere.'

  The Chief was confused by the missing Ferret. 'Poppy. He isn't here. I'll give him an ear-bashing when I see him. I'm sure he's okay. I have a lot to do today, so...'

  Poppy said, 'I know. Tell him I want to talk to him when you see him, won't you?'

  'I will. Take care.'

  After the call from Poppy, Bernie wondered if the paracetamol was ever going to kick in.

  Chapter 3

  Fire Chief Rick Brooks orchestrated the firefighters. All streets around the collapsed building had been cordoned off with barriers. The fire appliances were the only vehicles allowed inside the barriers. Several crews were already rolling up their hoses and stowing the gear away. The thermal imaging teams gave the all clear.
Morris and Crow dared to approach the busy man.

  'Hi, Rick,' said Morris. 'Winning the battle?'

  'We're wrapping up now. That was one hell of a night.'

  'Tell me about it. We're off home to get some shuteye. Do you think we'll ever get the bodies out?'

  Brooks shrugged. 'Stan. It could take weeks. What kind of mess we get out is anybodies guess. All the hot spots have been seen to. The thermal imaging hasn't picked up any living bodies. I'd have been surprised if they had. Nothing survives a building collapse like that. Somehow, I doubt they'll be doing time.'

  Morris agreed. 'You got that right, Rick. At least it'll save the poor bloody tax payer some money. We'll get a few clues when we find some body parts. Okay. To sleep, perchance to dream.'

  * * *

  It was five o'clock that evening after a few hours sleep, when Morris, Crowe and Andersen braved overdosing on black coffee by returning to work.

  Morris said, 'Disappeared?'

  Andersen said, 'Stanley. The Ferret's missing. His wife hasn't seen him for two whole days. He's not turning his mobile on. Nobody knows where the hell he is.'

  'That's not like the Ferret,' said Crowe. 'We could do with his help right about now.'

  Morris, on caffeine overload, tried to clear the fog from his mind. 'Whatever he's up to, he'll have a good reason for it.'

  Andersen said, 'We'll see. Right. Moving on. There was nothing useful on the recordings the Tactical team took. Just fully automatic weapons firing from top floor windows. The gunmen can hardly be seen. Just a vague shape.'

  Morris said, 'I suggest we check out the CCTV footage of the building.' He yawned, stretched and scratched the stubble on his chin. 'Dale. Tell me the security company had working CCTV?'

  'Partial. The owner of the security company is bringing it in himself. He should be here by now.' Andersen called reception. 'Is Mr Ripply here yet? Well, when he turns up, will you...Oh, right. Can you have him brought to my office, please. Thanks.' Putting the phone down, he said, 'He's here.'

  A constable escorted Sam Ripply to Andersen's office. Ripply was a short, barrel chested man in his late fifties, with thinning grey hair. His face showed the stress and concern he was feeling inside. He forced a nervous smile as he shook hands with the detectives. 'Sorry it took so long, but the camera was so badly damaged, I didn't think we would be able to retrieve anything usable.'