HE WILL KILL YOU an absolutely gripping crime thriller with a massive twist

by Charlie Gallagher

  Grace nodded. Viktor led her over to the counter. He ordered his coffee: black, as strong as they could make it. He then led her out of the front of the building, taking a dog-legged route, his attention lifted to the CCTV cameras that jutted out from the lip of the roof. Grace stuck close. Her desperation was starting to consume her; she had to fight to keep it down. There were a couple of huge digital signs towering over the lanes where they had parked. They were standing at each end with angry red displays that looked like they were branded with fire against a sky that was now a constant blur of white. They told her the ferry departure times; they told her it was -3°C. They told her it was 11.56.

  ‘Please, Viktor! Let me make this call. You gave me your word.’

  Viktor was looking away from the building now — back over towards the port controls they had passed through. He looked back to her. ‘I keep my word. You can call.’

  Grace couldn’t keep her desperation at bay any more. ‘My phone!’ She thrust out her hand.

  Viktor felt in his pocket and fished out the car keys. ‘I put your phone in armrest. Your father is only number saved on there. Just press his name!’ Viktor chuckled and threw the keys. Grace caught them and, for a second, was rooted to the spot, her eyes on Viktor.

  He waved at her. ‘Shoo!’ he said.

  Her eyes lifted to the clock. Three minutes now. She broke into a sprint.

  * * *

  Maddie snatched at her phone, Rhiannon’s name was written across the screen.

  ‘Rhiannon!’ Maddie was fighting to hold on to the car’s grab handle with her other hand. They were coming down Jubilee Way, the main route into Dover Port. It was a steep hill and fast as a result. They flashed past an escape lane on the nearside, the deep sand that filled it had a top layer of white snow. The road surface too was starting to whiten, despite the heavy traffic. It would be slippery, maybe even with patches of black ice. The road here continued out from the cliff face on stilts, Dover’s busy shipping port was a long way below and the sea was now visible as a mass of tumultuous grey in front. The protection from the sharp drop towards it was a flimsy-looking Armco barrier and a low, mesh fence. Maddie could see Vince’s strong arms tense to get them around the long, sweeping right curve. She had to push the phone to her ear to keep it in place as Rhiannon spoke.

  ‘There’s an update. The informant gave a part-reg for a vehicle this woman’s in. I found a match on ANPR going into the port, Gold have done the same. It’s a hire car — a red Audi. It’s hired out in the name Grace Hughes.’

  ‘Okay then . . . What is the reg?’

  Rhiannon relayed it and Maddie wrote it on her palm.

  ‘There’s more. We’ve done eborder checks. Grace has a ferry ticket booked. She’s leaving the country on the next ferry.’

  ‘Okay . . .’ Maddie didn’t know what else to say or what to think. All the information was pointing to one thing: to Grace setting bombs, killing her ex-partner along the way and blackmailing his brother. Maddie had only met her a couple of times, she didn’t really know her or of what she might be capable. Maybe this was all possible. Maybe she had been completely wrong about her. Still, it didn’t sit right.

  ‘Anything more you need?’ Rhiannon said.

  Maddie had been silent long enough. She peered into the front of the car where Harry was listening intently to the radio; there was no time to confer. She spoke back into her phone: ‘I don’t really know . . . So she kills Craig, blackmails his brother and flees the country. But before she’s out, she sets another bomb and detonates it from her phone, and she’s shouting about it at a busy port near to a car booked out in her name . . .’ Maddie was thinking out loud, her words getting faster and louder; she was winding herself up. This wasn’t right. ‘Is she travelling alone?’

  ‘It’s a vehicle ticket. That allows her a car and up to four people. She’s the only one named on the booking.’

  Maddie licked her lips. ‘Hang on.’ She moved the phone away. They were approaching the entry to the port, Harry was talking into the handset. She called out, ‘Vince! What did you say Viktor’s name came back as? He used a different surname, didn’t he?’

  ‘He did. I can’t remember right now, Maddie.’

  ‘You have to. It’s important.’

  Vince fidgeted. The car slowed for a barrier where they were now entering the port. The approach on blues had got someone’s attention and the barrier lifted before he needed to work his window. Maddie heard a zip and then a pocket book flew from the front. It dropped into her lap.

  ‘It was two days ago! I always underline surnames!’ Vince called after it.

  Maddie snatched it open. She flicked through pages of barely legible scrawl. Two days past, a Viktor was written, the surname that followed was underlined: Lizawski. ‘Rhiannon, take down this name: Lima, India, Zulu, Alpha, Whiskey, Sierra, Kilo, India: Lizawski. First name Viktor. Can you see if there’s any travel booked in that name? His date of birth is the second, of the third, nineteen seventy-nine.’

  ‘Hold on, I’ll run the search again on eborders.’

  Maddie waited. She knew it was a clunky system. It was a database that showed all booked travel out of the UK. It handled a lot of data and didn’t do it quickly. ‘He’s booked in! The same ferry, but as a foot passenger. He’s there somewhere!’

  ‘I bet he is!’ Maddie said.

  ‘What does that mean, they’re working together? Why would they be travelling separately? And why is he reverting to his real name?’

  ‘When was his ticket booked?’

  There was another pause. ‘Just now — like in the last ten minutes or so. It’s not even updated with the full details yet. It shows as an online booking.’

  ‘He’s a foot passenger, Rhiannon. We only run pre-booked vehicles and named passengers against police databases. By the time his name is washed through he’ll be missing in Europe and we won’t have a hope in hell of finding him.’

  She peered forward. The port had opened up in front of them. Harry was still talking on the radio but he was bent forward and she couldn’t make out the words. She called out for Vince to push forward towards where she could see a ferry unloading in the distance. It was the only one docked, and a small queue of cars was forming in front of it. She turned her hand over so she could see the registration number scrawled on her palm. Grace was last seen with a red car — it was their best chance of finding her. She still talked into her phone.

  ‘They’re not working together. She’s here under duress — she has to be. Why write his name on the window for me to find?’

  ‘Only she can answer that,’ Rhiannon said.

  Harry turned to face her. He looked serious. She moved the phone away from her ear.

  ‘We need to hold here,’ Harry said. ‘It’s a direct order from Gold. A Firearms patrol is here already. There’s another just entering the port. They have a visual on Grace — she’s been ID’d. She’s just run the length of the parking area to a red vehicle. They’ve reported that she has something in her hand but a car’s obstructing their view. They have to assume it’s a phone. That’s a turning point, they’re waiting . . .’ He tailed off and his eyes dropped. He plainly couldn’t look at her. His jaw creased. ‘The car with the kids up in Ashford . . . they’ve lost it. We’re out of options. I’m sorry, Maddie . . .’

  She felt her stomach twist tight. She knew exactly what that meant. The firearm patrol’s obstructed view meant through a sight on a high-powered rifle. Maddie stared down at the radio in her lap. It was busy with voices, she could try and tell them what was going on, that Grace wasn’t the threat, but there was so much to communicate; she wouldn’t be able to do it in time and there was a lot of nervousness about — they wouldn’t just take her word for it. Grace had told them about Viktor and Maddie was now sure that Grace hadn’t booked that ticket or hired that car. And she wasn’t about to willingly detonate a bomb either. But everything pointed to that. It was supposed to. Suddenly everything made sense. Gra
ce wasn’t here to travel, she was here to die, and at the hands of a police marksman. She was the end of the trail, so Viktor could slip out of the country while everyone’s attention was elsewhere.

  Maddie lifted the phone so she could see the screen. Her call was still connected. She could hear Rhiannon’s tinny voice, small and distant, she was saying her name. At the top was the time: 11.57. It flicked over to 11.58. Two minutes. There was no time for orders over the phone or explanations over the radio. They were just waiting to get a clear shot and it was all over. Maddie hung up her phone.

  * * *

  Grace made it back to the car but slipped on the thin layer of snow that had now formed on the concrete, crashing to the ground. She felt the pain through her arm and it was enough to stop her for an instant — but only an instant. She scrambled back to her feet. The snow was falling thick and hard and the wind was brisker here, freezing cold and blowing straight off the sea with nothing to repel it. She had unlocked the car remotely some way back, now she tore open the passenger door and thrust her hand to the armrest. She raised it to access the storage area underneath. Her phone was there! She grabbed it, backed out of the car and bent over the phone. The wind direction was against her, blowing snow into her face. She squatted low, using the car to shield her from the weather. It made her thighs burn almost immediately and she let one knee drop to the floor. It was sodden and freezing cold but she barely noticed.

  She steadied herself enough to unlock the phone. It took a couple of goes. She pressed for the phone directory — it was as Viktor had said: DAD was now the only one listed. He must have deleted everything else in case she got hold of it.

  ‘GRACE! STAY DOWN!’

  Her head snatched up. Sergeant Maddie Ives was a few feet away, she was beyond the rear of her car and she skidded to a stop. Her arms were out towards her, palms up as if she was already trying to reason with her. She was gasping heavily and she could hardly speak.

  ‘What are you doing here?’

  ‘Put the phone down, Grace!’

  ‘I can’t!’

  Maddie turned to look across to where Grace knew the border control area was on the other side of the car. She started to get up to see what she was looking at so intently.

  ‘STAY DOWN!’ Maddie screamed, and took a step closer.

  Grace dropped back to her knee. ‘What’s going on, Maddie?’

  ‘Listen to me! You have to stay kneeling. Then we can talk, okay?’ There was genuine fear in her voice.

  Grace checked her watch. She was just about out of time. ‘I don’t have time to talk!’

  ‘There is a sniper! They’re here to kill you, Grace — as soon as they can get a shot!’

  ‘What? Who?’

  Maddie lifted her hand. It had a police radio in it. Suddenly it was blaring.

  ‘DS IVES! THIS IS A LAWFUL ORDER . . . GET THE FUCK OUT OF THERE! WHAT ARE YOU DOING? FOXTROT TEAMS . . . MOVE FORWARD AND ENGAGE THE TARGET!’

  ‘The Police. Armed police. They’re coming for you, Grace. They don’t care that I’m here. You need to throw the phone down or they will shoot you right here.’

  ‘I can’t! I have to call my dad. I have to! There’s a bomb under his car. He’s already killed people, Maddie!’ Grace’s panic and desperation flooded back. She didn’t have time to explain. She didn’t have time to make Maddie understand. She just needed to make the call, then she could tell her why.

  ‘You have to trust me, Grace! There is a bomb but it’s not your dad in danger. It’s a bunch of kids in their mum’s car. They don’t have a clue . . . You dial that number and you’ll kill them all.’

  ‘DS IVES! THIS IS YOUR FINAL WARNING.’ Maddie spun a dial on top of the radio. The sound of the voices diminished and then she threw the radio down. She lifted her arms out, high and wide. She still faced Grace and her stare had real intensity.

  ‘MADDIE! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!’ A man’s voice. It came from behind Maddie and a little further away. It was the man who came to her house with Maddie before — the surly-looking one. He sounded furious now.

  Maddie raised her voice but didn’t take her eyes off Grace.

  ‘TELL THEM TO BACK OFF, HARRY! IT’S NOT HOW IT SEEMS!’

  ‘I CAN’T CALL THEM OFF!’ the man shouted back.

  Maddie was still staring right at her. Grace’s grip on her phone was tighter than ever. The time was now.

  The air fizzed. There was a loud noise and a thudding sound like something had been thrown at the car. She saw Maddie squat instinctively.

  ‘GRACE! DO NOT MOVE! THEY’RE TRYING TO FORCE YOU OUT! STAY THERE!’

  ‘Why are they shooting at me? I haven’t done anything!’

  ‘If you call that number, you will kill a car full of teenagers, Grace. You have to trust me!’

  ‘Trust!’ Grace snorted, her eyes suddenly streamed tears. ‘Trust! I’ve been trusting people my whole life. Look where it’s got me!’

  The air fizzed again. The thud was closer this time and it made a different sound, as if it had struck something firmer. Maddie still didn’t look away from her.

  ‘I know, Grace. But I told you I would keep you safe. I gave you my word. This is how I keep it. I’m the only one stood between you and a bad day. You have to believe me.’

  ‘Viktor, he brought me a ticket . . . he was taking me somewhere safe. He killed Sally but he didn’t kill me. He said he would take me somewhere safe . . .’

  ‘Viktor needs you to die. He hired this car in your name, he booked the travel tickets in your name and I’m pretty certain he just made an anonymous call to the police telling us you’re about to detonate another bomb. He’s forcing the police to take you out. He needs the trail to end.’

  Grace’s lips quivered. She was so exhausted. Her head shook. She didn’t know who to believe. ‘I killed Craig. I had to make a call. I knew he would die. Sally told me about the bomb. I wanted him dead. But I didn’t kill anyone else. I didn’t do anything else! I just wanted to be free!’ She raised her tired eyes to Maddie. ‘Sally’s in the boot . . . Viktor strangled her. I thought he was going to do the same thing to me.’ Grace’s head was shaking, the events of the last twenty-four hours whirled around in her mind. She needed time to think. She didn’t have any. She looked up to see Maddie glancing at the rear of the car.

  ‘Of course she is,’ Maddie said. ‘You’re being stitched up for that, too. He needed you dead though. So you couldn’t tell us what really happened. Throw the phone away, Grace, and I’ll walk you away from here. No one gets hurt, I promise.’ She stepped forward. She was almost touching the rear of the car now.

  Grace was lost in her panic. ‘I can’t lose my dad. What if this is how I save him? He loves me so much. He calls me his princess!’ She snorted a laugh. ‘He’s the only man who ever has! That’s all any of us want, right? To be someone’s princess . . .’

  ‘It’s the least you deserve. And you can have that. Please, Grace, you have to trust me.’ Maddie stepped forward again.

  Grace started to speak, to tell her not to come any closer.

  ‘ARMED POLICE! ARMED POLICE, DO NOT MOVE!’ Grace could hear boots pounding the ground towards her. She spun to the sound and a masked man appeared beside the van in front, his weapon fixed firmly against his shoulder — it was pointed directly at her. She tensed, still gripping the phone tightly in her hand.

  ‘HANDS WHERE I CAN SEE THEM!’

  Beyond him, etched high over his head with its blood red display, was the digital clock. The huge numbers ticked over to 12 noon. She had delayed too long. It had to be now.

  Her eyes dropped to the phone. Her thumb twitched to make the call. She heard a man shout — and in the same instant she felt a blow to her right side that took her clean off her knee. Her head banged off the side of the car on the way to the ground and she heard her phone clatter along the ground.

  ‘SHE’S DROPPED THE PHONE!’ Maddie screamed. ‘SHE HAS DROPPED THE PHONE!’

  Grace felt herself
grabbed roughly in what felt like a hug, with strong arms wrapped round her chest and back in a crushing grip, including her injured arm. She could barely feel any pain. She looked up, her vision was closing in, but she could see it was Maddie who was hugging her tightly. Her head lolled backwards. She could see the black boots of the armed officers on the ground — they were much closer. She squinted upwards to see weapons pointing at her, and the nearest man was still yelling. Maddie was screaming right back. The surly man was suddenly there too; he was shouting and pushing the masked man away.

  She closed her eyes to it all. All she was aware of now was the freezing cold ground.

  Chapter 38

  After

  Vince forced himself to slow down as he tugged open the door leading into the passenger terminal. This building was more central, was closer to the border controls and was where foot passengers were directed before they could make their way onto the ferry. He had been given hurried instructions by Maddie as she’d pushed open the car door, with Harry talking over her, warning her not to be stupid. His words had fallen on deaf ears: Maddie had sprinted away from their car and Harry had bundled after her, leaving Vince still sitting in the driver’s seat. Though he could have done with the chance of asking for a bit more clarity, he’d got the basics: Viktor would be waiting to board the ferry as a foot passenger and he needed intercepting.

  Vince knew he should have called up for other officers to accompany him — it had been part of Maddie’s instructions — but that part he’d ignored: Gold Command were running the show and so, technically, every decision should be run through them. In his experience that meant everything slowed down, with the final decisions being taken by the most risk averse. He didn’t have the time to bring them fully up to speed either: the ferry was about to start loading its foot passengers; he had to act now. And besides, if Gold Command were given the opportunity to be involved in the arrest there would be no way that Vince, as a response officer from the next town over, would get anywhere near the action — it would be a firearms team for sure. And Vince wanted this. He had walked Viktor into custody once already and he had been taken for a fool. This was personal.