One Last Time

by James Hampson

  John nodded and said 'Well sounds pretty straight forward, how do you get involved in these things?'

  James stood up and looked out of the window at the sunset.

  'That’s not all, remember my friend Will Ramsey, they have taken him as a hostage, we hope anyway, so we need to get him first before we stop this deal, but we need to try and take out as many of these soldiers as we can before we all end up dead.'

  John looked at James and said 'For fuck sake, do you and Lawrence have a plan?'

  'Yes, that's why we decided to put you up in here, tomorrow we will wait at your original hotel and ambush them there, we must assume that they are listening to our communications, which is how they managed to grab Will, also we are on our own with no official help due to the sensitivity around the area in question. But we are getting help from the French when we need it.'

  John looked at James in disbelief, just a few hours ago he was at his desk looking busy now he was in the middle of a secret war on the streets of Seville.

  He asked James 'Do you have goodies?'

  'Yes, plenty we will meet you here tomorrow at 1100, go get some sleep, and thanks again for helping out.'

  'Don't worry about it' John said.

  Then with that James left the room and went to the reception desk and asked for them to call him a taxi, which they did.

  FOURTEEN

  James Shaw relaxed in the back of the taxi as it wound its way through the narrow streets of Seville. The sun had now set and the city was illuminated by orange and yellow light. He told the driver to stop a few streets away from Delinda's apartment building, as he felt like a stroll in the night air, he paid the driver and he drove off looking for another fare.

  James ambled through the streets taking in the quietness and the citrus smell in the air from the orange trees, he was the only person on the street.

  He turned a corner and on to the street with Delinda's building. Shaw spotted a VW Polo parked on the street in the same colour blue that himself and Sharif had come across earlier, Shaw instinctively looked around, he could not see anybody and the car was empty.

  Fifty yards from Delinda’s apartment door one of Ramos’s soldiers lunched from a doorway and slashed at Shaw with a knife with a backhand motion. Shaw instinctively arched his back to try to avoid contact, however the blade sliced his midriff, ripping his polo shirt and his skin causing blood to gush out from the wound, he instinctively put his hands to the wound and looked at the warm blood on his hands in disbelief, he managed to let the adrenalin take over the pain, he launched at the soldier and wrestled him to the floor. The Argentine fought back and tried to stab Shaw again but Shaw jabbed him in the top of the arm causing the knife to fall on to the cobbled pavement, they both reached for it but Shaw was both taller and quicker. He picked it up and drove the knife into the soldier’s chest, killing him instantly, not even a scream was managed, his body shut down straight away.

  Shaw got back to his feet and looked at his wound, he took his top off and used it to try and stop the bleeding. He used his foot to kick the Knife down a drain and carried on walking towards Delinda's apartment building feeling fainter with each step, he sat down to try and calm himself as the adrenaline wore out. James took out his phone and dialled Lawrence’s number.

  'I am outside, come quick' and put the phone down.

  Half a minute later Lawrence stepped out onto the street and could see James sat on the kerb holding his abdomen. James now struggled for breath and said to Lawrence.

  'Get him in the boot and me to the hospital quickly.'

  Lawrence dashed over to the soldier on the floor and searched his body, he eventually found the keys to the VW Polo parked a hundred yards away. Lawrence ran over to the car, got in and drove up to where James was sat and helped him into the back seat, which he lay across. Lawrence opened the boot and dragged the Argentine soldier over to the car and heaved him in to the empty space before closing the hatchback on him, he stepped around to the driver's seat and set off for the hospital which took him ten minutes to get to through the narrow streets and one-way system.

  Lawrence slewed the car to a stop outside the hospital's emergency department and helped James inside, explaining to the receptionist what the problem was and if he could be seen straight away. He was told to take a seat like everybody else.

  A Doctor walked by and seen James fading in and out of consciousness, he called for assistance and James was taken down to surgery. Lawrence walked outside to move the car to a parking space, the last thing they needed was the police crawling all over the car and asking questions that could not be answered.

  James Shaw lay on the operating table in theatre under a local anaesthetic. The surgical team had managed to stop the bleeding and they stitched the wound back together with precision. The knife had cut deep but luckily did not cause any internal damage; however, he would be left with a neat six-inch scar for his trouble.

  FIFTEEN

  Two hours later; James Shaw felt a searing pain in his midriff as the effects of the anaesthetic began to wear off. He had been placed in a side room and had been asleep before the porter’s had wheeled him in to the room. As he awoke fully, he could see Lawrence sat next to him in a visitor's chair. Lawrence had James's clothes and personal effects in a bag provided by the hospital and he passed them to James and said.

  'Get dressed, no time to sit in here all night.’

  As they walked towards the exit, people kept looking at James and his blood-stained shirt.

  'The doctors said you will be fine, just a flesh wound, so you are fit for duty' Lawrence said half-jokingly and half serious.

  James shot him a disapproving look, just as his phone began to ring, he pulled it out of his pocket and looked at the screen which showed a local number, he swiped to answer, then a voice said.

  'James, it is Will, sorry that I haven't been in touch, my phone stopped working I had to buy a new one.'

  'It is Will Ramsey' Shaw mouthed to Lawrence who mimicked a talking sign with his hand meaning keep him talking.

  'In 2008 where did we serve together and what were our room numbers?'

  Will Ramsey replied 'Camp Bastion, you were in twenty and I was in twenty-one, you punched a hole in the wall after I beat you at FIFA remember?'

  James gave a thumbs up to Lawrence.

  'I will call you back' Shaw then ended the call.

  James spotted a phone on the wall next to the automatic doors, he put two euros in to the coin slot and dialled the number Will had just called him from and waited for him to pick up.

  'Fucking hell, we thought you had been kidnapped, where are you?'

  'Funny you should ask that, there are two VW Polos parked outside of my hotel with three men in each there was only one until around half an hour ago, then another pulled up.'

  'Stay in the hotel and don't leave, we will be there tomorrow at one o’clock, the other car must be for my brother John, I am going to call you back on the mobile, they are tracing my calls so I assume they are waiting for me to call back.’

  James hung up and dialled the same number from his mobile.

  'Good to hear your voice I thought something had happened to you' James said.

  'No, I am fine, just enjoying the city.'

  'Glad to hear it, the plan is: John will be staying in your hotel, he will be arriving at about 1530, myself and Lawrence will be there to meet you at 1500 and we will wait for John, you can get some beers ready for us.'

  'OK I will see you tomorrow at 1500.'

  James clicked off the call.

  James and Lawrence left the hospital and started walking towards Barrio Santa Cruz as they could not get a taxi at the hospital as it had gone past two in the morning.

  'You got lucky tonight' Sharif said to Shaw.

  'Yeah you could say that, I will be fine in the morning after some sleep, where are we staying? Delinda and Ally probably think we have done a runner, I have had four missed calls and texts.'

  '
Don't worry I spoke to Ally we can still stay there they are expecting us.'

  'Oh good' Shaw said as he reached into his pocket for a cigarette.

  'We will go get some sleep and then we can make a plan for tomorrow, Will says there are six of Ramos’s men outside of his hotel in two cars, I am guessing they will rotate at some point, but now let's just go get some rest and plan properly in the morning' James said to Lawrence who nodded in agreement.

  James and Lawrence arrived back at the apartment building after first circling the block to make sure that there were not any more of Javier Ramos's men waiting for them, they could not see any, much to their relief.

  'I think they are getting a bit thin on the ground now' Lawrence said.

  'I hope so and if they still have six outside Will’s hotel, tomorrow that will leave just a few around Ramos, who will not let them go he will want to keep them close'

  'Agreed'.

  Lawrence rang the buzzer with the knuckle of his right middle finger to the apartment on the top floor. Delinda released the door lock remotely to let them in and they climbed the stairs. James began to feel pain in his abdomen with each step. Lawrence stopped and helped him to the top. They finally reached the top and were met by Ally and Delinda. Delinda put her right hand to her mouth and gasped in horror as she seen James's polo shirt covered in blood along with the pain etched on his face.

  'Nothing to worry about just a flesh wound' he said with a grimace.

  'Oh my god what happened?' Asked Delinda not taking her eyes off the blood on James’s polo shirt.

  'Some joker tried to mug me; he is worse off believe me. Thank you for letting us stay here.' Delinda took hold of James's hand and led him to her bedroom. Delinda kissed James passionately, they kissed and held each other tight.

  'I have been so worried about you but I am glad you are ok now, I hope this doesn’t sound to forward. But I really like you and would like it if we could spend more time together.’

  James sat on the bed and dressed down to his underwear, Delinda sat next to him and rested her head on his shoulder.

  'I like you too and we can spend more time together, Lawrence and I just have a few things to sort out here, then you will have me all day and night.'

  'I can't wait'.

  Delinda fell asleep in James's arms, he lay awake for an hour with all sorts of thoughts swirling around inside his head from the situation he was currently in to what he was going to do next. He eventually fell asleep next to a woman for the first time in a long time and he was happy about it.

  James began to wake around six hours later and could feel somebody sat on the bed looking at him, once he cleared his eyes, he noticed it was Lawrence Sharif who was sat looking at him.

  'How are you feeling? Are you fit for duty?' He asked.

  ‘Yes, I am fine and why have you been watching me sleep?'

  'Glad to hear it, the girls have gone out to get some breakfast, we need to plan what to do this afternoon and we need to go back and get the rest of our clothes if we are going to stay here.'

  'I agree, we could really do with a car, we don’t want to be carrying weapons around in taxis when we go to hit Will’s hotel. I need a top too before we go back to get our stuff, I can't walk around like this in a blood-stained shirt. I brought the bag without any tops in.'

  'OK, I will go back to the hostel and get our stuff if you go and hire a car. You can pick me up then we can plan when we get back here, get John whilst you are out, easier if we all stick together today, and Delinda said she will get you a t-shirt, I told her to get extra-large.'

  ‘Cheeky bastard’ James said to Lawrence with a scowl.

  'Don’t forget, Spanish people are generally smaller than us.’

  James got up out of the bed and headed for the bathroom. He turned the shower on and looked at his stitching in the mirror.

  Good job, this will hold up he said to himself.

  James got in to the shower and did his usual routine of wash, rinse, repeat and clean his teeth. His toothbrush was in his bag which he couldn’t remember where he had put it so he put toothpaste on his finger and cleaned his teeth.

  I will buy some gum later he said to himself as he stepped out of the shower and dried himself off.

  He got dressed in to his trousers and shoes and walked out in to the living area just as Delinda and Ally walked through the door with cardboard coffee cups, croissants and a plastic bag which James assumed was his new top.

  'Morning' he said to them which they said back.

  Delinda put the coffee on the table and gave James a kiss before she handed him the plastic bag. James opened the bag and pulled out a white t-shirt and unfolded it and pulled it over his head. On the front it said I heart Sevilla the kind that you see in all cities with a big red heart and bold black writing.

  'Really, thank you' he said to Delinda.

  Lawrence could not stop laughing and said ‘You definitely look like a tourist now.’

  'How much do I owe you for the top?' James asked.

  'Oh it's fine, my treat, especially since you look so cute in it.'

  James smiled and quietly said 'Thanks'.

  They all sat around the long table eating, drinking and laughing before leaving the apartment.

  Lawrence walked back to the hostel whilst James got a taxi to Santa Justa station with Delinda and Ally who were going to Cordoba for the day, James was going to hire car as he remembered seeing offices the night before whilst waiting for his brother. A SEAT Leon he would be happy with like the one he and Sharif had arrived in. Maybe a Range Rover would be better or some other kind of 4x4. The taxi pulled up at the station, Shaw paid the driver and the three of them walked inside on to the vast concourse. People were waiting for trains and hurrying about.

  James waited with Delinda and Ally until their train arrived. He was not allowed to follow them down to the platform as ticket inspections where taking place at the top of the moving stairs. James waved Delinda and Ally off and headed over to a payphone and dialled the number for Hotel Ayre, which he had googled on his phone. When the receptionist answered he asked to be put through to John Shaw's room, the receptionist patched the call through and John answered 'Yes.'

  'Get over to the station' then James put the phone down and walked to a car rental booth. He asked the clerk if he spoke English, he said he did. He asked if they had any Range Rovers the man said they did and it was three hundred euros per day, which James paid for on his card and signed a load of paperwork and had a copy of his driving license taken for the rental company's records. The man handed him a set of keys and directed him to where the car was parked. James thanked the man and walked out of the booth just as John walked in to the station and waved at James who hurried over to his brother. They stepped out in to the sun and scanned the rental lots for a black Range Rover Vogue.

  'Did you have a good night?' John asked.

  'Had better, I got stabbed and ended up in the hospital, but apart from that, how about you?'

  'Yeah, I had a good sleep and breakfast is nice here, so what about today then, wait what did you just say, you got stabbed?'

  'Yeah, nothing major it is just a flesh wound which needed a few stitches, we are going to meet Lawrence now he is picking up the rest of our things, then we will plan for this afternoon, good job you are here we could do with your Marines expertise.'

  'Nice t-shirt by the way, good way to blend in, how many people are we looking at?'

  'Six we think.'

  'OK, should be easy enough and do you have any maps?'

  'Yes, we have got all that, and Will is safe so a false alarm on that one, he will be helping from inside the hotel.'

  'Well that’s good news for a start, how have you and Lawrence Sharif ended up in this mess, seems to me you have been left out to dry?'

  'We have in a way but we have the upper hand' James answered.

  ‘Was it one of these who stabbed you?’

  ‘Yes, right outside of the apartment
where Delinda is staying as well’

  ‘Delinda, nice name. Where is she from?’

  ‘America, Tennessee to be precise.’

  ‘Nice will I get to meet her?’

  ‘Not today I have just waved them off, they are going to Cordoba for the day.’

  ‘That’s good, at least we can plan in peace.’

  ‘Exactly one less thing for us to worry about, here is the car.’ James said as he unlocked the doors with the remote fob.

  James inched through the Saturday morning shopping traffic when he eventually reached the backpackers hostel. Lawrence Sharif was waiting with the bags at his feet. He walked over to the car, opened the back door and threw the bags in, he then climbed in after them. James put the Range Rover back in to drive and drove off towards Calle Torneo which ran alongside the river. It would be quicker driving around than driving to navigate the narrow streets and the one-way system in the centre of the old town.

  SIXTEEN

  Lyndon Powell, Mike Williams, Chris Hampshire and Jack Reuben were in Liverpool making their final preparations before flying out to Spain the next morning. All boarding cards and train tickets had been printed and all passports had been double checked, all that was left to do, was to receive conformation of their hotel booking by Hotel Ayre in Seville.

  The four men were headed towards the Airport hotel in a taxi. Mikes phone pinged; it was the e-mail confirmation of their hotel booking.

  'Well gentlemen everything is in place, I assume you have all set an alarm for the morning?' They all replied that they had.

  'Think, in just a few days we will all be multi-millionaires, we have deserved it too.’ Mike said.

  'A lot of work to do between now and then, let's keep our minds on the job, then we can have the biggest party you have ever seen, believe me’ Lyndon replied.

  The taxi pulled up outside the hotel, it was directly opposite the entrance to the departures, in the morning they could just walk straight to the terminal, no need to check bags as they were only taking hand luggage for ease of moving around. Even though this was the biggest job they had ever done, all of the men seemed quite at ease and relaxed about the whole situation. All the hard work had been done, now all they had to do was sign the permits over and collect their money, which they assumed would be transferred in to their business account.