by Martina Cole
They disembarked from the plane quietly, each lost in their own thoughts.
When the guns went off, they hit the ground.
As anyone with half a brain would.
Chapter Forty-one
Joey Barbossa was drunk and happy as he walked into the private club with the Juarez brothers.
He had arranged this days before, knowing that they would want to celebrate. This was a really upmarket lap-dancing club: just footballers, soap stars and the general rich and famous. He knew that it was a touch just to be invited in, let alone be given a private room for a party.
They were waiting for the call that would tell them that they had carte blanche – because that was what they had planned for, and planned for well. Once Angus was out of the way, there was nothing to stop them from taking what they wanted. It was a hard line, ‘us or them’ situation. As they walked into the private room, they all felt a rush of excitement – this was their future. This was the beginning of the life they had paid a fortune – in money and blood – to live.
Joey took the call at 11.50 p.m.
Smiling widely, he said with mock sadness, while rubbing his hands together like a pantomime villain, ‘It’s done. Angus Davis and Roy Rogers are no more. They thought that flying into a different airport would be enough. Luckily, we had previous knowledge aforethought and we could adjust our plans as needed.’
Even the Juarez brothers thought that Joey was a bit of a cunt; they knew that they spoke much better English than him. They were both surprised that he had managed to arrange what he had promised. They would have been more than happy to sort out the details themselves, but if Joey could make it happen then they were quite pleased to let him take the fallout.
Joey was just a means to an end – but, of course, he wasn’t aware of that fact. He wouldn’t be around for much longer. After all, who wanted a grass on the firm?
This had worked out well all around really.
What they had wanted was Angus Davis gone. Because once he was out of the way, it would be easy to get a hold in the clubs. It would be fair game.
That was how it worked.
This was the Costas, and anything fucking went here.
Chapter Forty-two
Diana was worried. There was something not right about this latest drama in Spain.
The fact that she couldn’t get Dennis White or the illustrious Leonard on the phone didn’t help. Gabriel wasn’t bothered in the least; he said that she should let her boy sort it himself. But there was still something bothering her and she didn’t know what it was.
Her son knew his job; he was proving himself to be a natural, in all fairness. Still her instincts were telling her that there was something wrong with this latest debacle.
Something sinister.
She wondered if it was because she was about to become a grandmother and that her son was becoming a father. She wished she could ask her old mum about it – ask how she felt when young Angus had been born. She’d loved the bones of her grandson that was for sure. But Jane had had a sudden heart attack not long after the wedding – it was as though she was content once she saw her Angus happy. She’d never been overly affectionate with her daughter but Diana missed her all the same.
She poured herself a large Scotch and took a swig, relishing the warmth. She knew how life shifted when you suddenly had something precious to lose. Something that was real. Something that was tangible. She looked at Gabriel and saw him watching her. She knew that she was lucky, because he did genuinely love her; that was something that couldn’t be manufactured. But she couldn’t let that affect her, because she had to make sure that nothing interfered with her life or her work.
If she was a man, she could have done what she liked – shag for England, spend her time in hostess clubs, whatever. It would be expected. But as a woman, she wasn’t afforded that kind of leeway. People were shocked enough by her lifestyle with Gabriel; she had fought to be treated like the men she dealt with. And yet she also knew that she would be judged by any man she slept with.
Gabriel poured her another whisky and, shaking his handsome head, he said gently, ‘Stop worrying, Di, it’s being sorted.’
For the first time ever, she didn’t say anything, and Gabriel could see the fear in her eyes.
‘If anything happens to my boy, I swear I will decimate Spain and every fucker out there.’
Gabriel sighed heavily. ‘I think that’s a given, don’t you? But I promise you, nothing is going to happen to your boy tonight.’
He hoped that he was right. No one could guarantee anything in their game, that was the trouble. There was many a man buried well before his time because of a business deal that someone else wanted. The secret was to keep one step ahead of the game.
It was the way of the world.
Chapter Forty-three
Joey Barbossa was drunk, happy and giddy with power.
He had arranged the demise of Angus Davis! It would cause murders, but if no one knew it was him, he was confident that he could ride out this storm and go on to bigger and better things. Working with the Juarez brothers was just the beginning. He had lined up a veritable who’s who of the criminal underworld to help him in his quest to take over the dealing in the clubs, the bars and even the Mugs pubs, where the tourists went and believed they were rubbing shoulders with the criminal elite. Dream on! Joey was so impressed with the private room – the place was just fucking outrageous. They not only had a full bar but there were leather sofas like something from a Channel 4 programme. He only had to nod and he was offered every drink under the sun, and that told him that he was being treated with respect. He was seen as a man of means. He was a man to be reckoned with.
This had been his dream all his life. It was why he had thrown his lot in with the Juarez brothers and sold his mates down the river. But it had been worth it, because he would now be a main player, someone of note.
When the girls came in to give them a private dance, he thought he had died and gone to heaven. These were young women who were beautiful and sexy, and available for a price. When he was known to be a part of this world, these girls would fight each other to get to him. That is what money and prestige did for men like him. It guaranteed strange that was not only young and beautiful but also open to opportunities. The ugliest fuck in Christendom could bag a good-looking bird, marry it and produce beautiful kids, if they were a Face.
He knew how this worked, and he was all for it.
This was the world of commerce – the world of business – and he was finally going to be a part of it.
Chapter Forty-four
Roy and Angus were in a restaurant in Marbella, right on the waterfront.
They were sitting with a huge tableful of people, most of whom they only knew by sight. But Abad was there, with a young dancer who had caught his eye. He was smiling but he clearly wasn’t happy, and Angus appreciated that. Abad knew what was really going down tonight.
There was champagne on the table, and everyone was determined to have a great time – so great, in fact, that no one would forget them. This was the best alibi ever, yet it didn’t sit well with Angus, because he liked to sort out his problems personally. But he was willing to swallow his knob. He didn’t really have a choice – though he wondered why he had even travelled all this way if he wasn’t to be allowed to sort this out himself.
He had left a pregnant wife, and he was raring to get his hands on the culprits concerned! He picked up his glass of champagne and swallowed it down irritably.
Abad refilled his glass and, grinning at the room, he said under his breath, ‘Relax, for fuck’s sake, Angus. The Juarez brothers have dragged a lot of people into this shit. You can’t be anywhere near them, but the fact you are here speaks volumes.’
Angus nodded. ‘Fucking try and shoot me? What a piss-take, what a diabolical fucking liberty!’
Abad shrugged. ‘But they didn’t succeed, did they? I made sure of that. So relax and make a night of it. I have a
photographer taking photos with the time on. Try to look happy, will you?’
Angus knew he had a touch with this friend of his. He owed Roy and Abad his life, but what had happened still rankled.
Abad leaned in to him and, as they clinked glasses, Abad whispered in his ear, ‘Don’t worry, I have saved the best till last. You will get your revenge, mate. But not yet. We need to get through this charade first.’
Angus finally smiled, his first real one of the night.
This was more like it.
He was nothing in his business if not hands-on.
Chapter Forty-five
Leonard and Dennis were waiting at the club for Angus and Roy to arrive.
They were pleased with themselves, because they had taken things in hand before Angus had even stepped off the plane. That had to count for something. They had fucked up, but they had sorted it as soon as. They had to believe that Angus would appreciate that.
They were sure that they had headed off any trouble before it could cause real problems.
But when Angus finally walked into the offices, they were both as frightened as they were relieved.
Chapter Forty-six
Joey Barbossa knew that it was all over for him, and he was gutted.
He had no doubt that he was going to die. It was how that was bothering him. He could only hope it was quick, he was already resigned to his fate.
He had had what was generally referred to as a ‘capture’. He had been fucked over, that was obvious, and he was sensible enough to know that there wasn’t anything he could do or say to prevent his demise.
He was lying on the floor of a warehouse in a small industrial estate outside of La Conception. It was quiet, late at night, and it was deserted. He could smell oil and sweat, which was basically all this shithole was good for. It was supposed to be a car repair shop. It was a perfect front for the business they were really in, though. Everyone was aware that it was easy enough to carry out any kind of business here, providing you knew the right people. That was why this place was so competitive – there was so much to earn, and so many different businesses to earn from.
All he had wanted was a taste. He had wanted to be somebody. That was natural, surely?
He was crying intermittently, and he could hear the Juarez brothers cursing and trying to break free of their bonds. He admired their optimism, but he knew they didn’t have a chance in hell. They were all dead.
For fuck’s sake, they had tried to murder Angus Davis! If they had managed it, they might have been in with a chance. Angus Davis was a real adversary, he wasn’t a mug, and that was why he had to die. But on reflection, he knew that the Juarez brothers had not allowed for Angus Davis being not only well liked but also his mother’s son. Joey had finally seen that he had involved himself in the biggest fuck-up, because he had not researched his opponents.
Hindsight was, apparently, a wonderful thing. He sighed sadly.
It was over twenty-four hours since they had been brought here, and no one had been near or by. He was hot and thirsty, he was in pain from his bonds, and he had already defecated in his trousers. He regretted eating all that fucking rich food in that posh restaurant, though his fear could have something to do with it too.
He could feel the heat overwhelming him. He was sweating like a pig, and he wondered if they were going to let them die of thirst. He wouldn’t put that past Angus Davis. He was known for his viciousness – that was part of his persona. He wondered how long it would be before Angus turned up.
Like the avenging angel.
At this point Joey was hoping he would to put them all out of their misery.
Sooner rather than later.
Chapter Forty-seven
‘It’s been long enough. I think it’s time we went and did the dirty, don’t you?’
Angus was getting antsy. He wanted to get in there and teach them a lesson they wouldn’t forget.
Roy shook his head. ‘You ain’t going nowhere, Angus, except home.’
Angus was standing in his beautiful suite with a large Jacky D in his hand and the determination to cause havoc coursing through his veins.
He laughed loudly. ‘Are you fucking joking? I won’t rest until I see these fuckers face to face . . .’
Roy shook his head slowly. ‘You are not going anywhere near them, you hear me? They are in a unit in La Conception.’
Angus was not impressed, and it showed.
‘Excuse me? I have been totally fucking mugged off, and you think I should do nothing? Seriously, Roy?’
He was up for a fight, and Roy sighed heavily.
Running his hands over his cropped hair, he shouted, ‘Yes, Angus, that’s exactly what I think you should do. Go home to your wife and wait for your baby. Joey and the Juarez brothers are going to be miraculously found in a month’s time. They will have died of hunger and thirst. There’s a big heatwave at the moment, so their bodies will be in a terrible condition. That will hit the papers, and everyone will know that it was down to you. I think it is a much better lesson than a bullet in the back of the head. It’s evil and it’s nasty, and it takes time.
‘Trust me on this, Angus, OK? I do not want you anywhere near those fuckers, because we would have to get rid of the bodies. As it stands, there is nothing to put any of us there. But when they are found, it will send a message all over Spain, and that is exactly what we need to do.’
Angus knew that Roy was making sense, but there was still a part of him that wanted to sort these fuckers out personally.
Roy understood that so he said reasonably, ‘Listen to me. They are going to die a terrible death, Angus. It will take days – and everyone will know that, because I will make sure they know. This is Spain, and this needs a different way of dealing with things. Trust me, you will thank me for this one day. We aren’t going out shooting and maiming – that’s for the fucking plastic gangsters – we are going to sort this subtly. Show that we have a bit more nous than to start blood wars. Believe me, everyone will thank us for it. Especially the Filth.’
Angus shrugged, calmer now, but then he was always ready to listen to reason when it was explained to him by Roy. He trusted him with his life.
‘How long will it take?’
Roy opened his arms, because he only knew what he had been told.
‘Well, with this heat, probably another few days. It won’t be pleasant, I can promise you that. It will be a slow and painful death. And that will make every fucking newspaper, I guarantee it. Everyone will know exactly how these cunts died. I have a few journalists who will kill for this story. Just go home and leave me to sort this out, will you?’
Angus nodded. He could live with that, especially if it added to his credibility – which, of course, this would. It was the 1980s, not the old days of murder in the streets and bloodbaths to prove a point, and he understood that. He actually liked this death, it pleased him. Dying of thirst had a certain panache to it. It appealed to his sense of fair play.
They had tried to kill him, so these fuckers dying slowly, but surely, was actually a fitting revenge. He was only sorry he had not thought of it himself.
‘Do you know something, Roy? You are absolutely right. Fuck them! Let them starve. I had a wonderful word the other day from my dictionary: “marasmus”. Basically, it means undernourishment or starvation – could even be used to describe anorexia. It really encompasses what we are going to achieve here. How wonderful is that? I was wondering when and how I could use it in conversation, you know. It’s a powerful word. We just don’t appreciate the English language at all.’
Roy didn’t answer him. He didn’t know what to say. Angus and his fucking words could really get on his nerves sometimes.
Then Angus changed the subject completely, saying, ‘But what about Dennis White? We need to keep an eye on him now surely? He took his eye off the ball.’
Roy nodded in agreement. ‘In fairness, Angus, I don’t think that will happen again, do you?’
Angus
swallowed down the last of his drink before answering sociably, ‘You have a point there, Roy. I think he has learned a valuable lesson. You can’t trust any sod out here.’
Chapter Forty-eight
Lorna was tired out but she was pleased she had not put on too much weight – in fact, she still looked slim and sexy from behind – she had made sure of that. She wasn’t going to let herself get half the size of a house, so she made sure she ate properly and healthily. She wasn’t going to let her body be ruined beyond repair. She had seen that happen to too many of her contemporaries – they were like Man Mountain Dean after giving birth and she was too shrewd for that. She was going to pop straight back into shape and Angus would be thrilled.
She looked around her; she loved this house. They were living in a four-bedroom detached farmhouse on nine acres. She had viewed it and wanted it. Thanks to her Angus, they now owned it. That it irritated Diana, she knew, but Lorna didn’t care. Diana had to be sensible enough to recognise that what Lorna wanted, she got. That was how it worked, how it would always work.
Lorna had used her pregnancy as a means to get what she wanted, because she knew what was best for them all. They were settled in Essex, not too far from London, and they had a home for life. That is what had sold it to Angus really – her telling him that they would have access to perfect schools, wonderful shops and, even better, there were nine acres of land fenced off that could guarantee them privacy. She knew that would eventually be what they needed. Her attitude was, why not buy into that now? And, of course, Angus agreed with her.
The house was beautiful, like something from Emmerdale Farm. It had just been renovated; the kitchen alone was a dream – it even had an AGA. She had read in House & Garden that an AGA was a must for the perfect home, and it kept it so warm all the time. Angus had had to talk his mother into helping them buy the place, but that was not Lorna’s problem. She was producing the grandchild, and so she should get what she wanted surely? She loved Angus with all her heart, and he did her – they were a perfect couple – so Diana should make sure they had what they wanted. Diana’s grandchild would be born into a world that suited its station in life: a beautiful home that would be worthy of her children and the life they would be living, the schools they would attend, the friends they would make. And, last but not least, it would provide the privacy needed when married to a man like Angus.
