What a Country

by Paul Kirby

  The Ayatollah, by contrast, had had an exceptionally good night. He was very happy with his troops and the way his plan was unfolding, particularly the way Cairo was gaining the confidence of the RBL members, enabling her to relay in great detail the full program for the one-hundred-year memorial service. The boys too were doing a magnificent job fundraising for the cause and they now had a vehicle on order. With less than three weeks left until the big day, nothing could possibly go wrong.

  Apart from recruitment and giving orders, The Ayatollah had also managed to secure for his team a small unit big enough to work on a single car on a local industrial site, where they could also store all their vital equipment and weapons. This was going to be his 9/11 and it would make 7/7 look like a nonevent.

  Chapter 34

  Butler greeted Dell and his two henchmen as if they were leaders of a big corporate business and, to be honest, they were all dressed as if they were. Any curious onlookers wouldn’t have known any different. Two old couples were there in perfect disguise as a normal foursome out for a bit of lunch, who were in fact there to ascertain what the government was going to get for its money and it would actually be them who said yes or no.

  Butler was in the chair today and as if to impress his possible contractors, took care of all the hospitality arrangements as instructed. The boys were impressed and quickly realised he meant business, so took full advantage of what was on offer. The group retreated from the bar to the reserved table well out of earshot of the general public. It obviously didn’t matter about the dithering old couples situated pretty close by.

  Butler started. “Right, gentlemen. We all know why we’re here. I won’t bore you with the details as Joey here tells me you have been briefed on our goal. I would just like you all to know, we want the hatchet buried regarding any old cases and to let you know that, with your cooperation, there will be no present or potential past cases involving any of the three of you that we would wish to review again.”

  The boys glanced at each other briefly and let Butler deliver what was to be a very rousing speech indeed. As chairman, he was very impressive and professional at delivering his talk and even his government eavesdroppers noted this. He came across as a team leader on an incentive drive with his employees. He mentioned nothing about terrorism or ISIS or bombs, nothing at all. But, by the way he spoke, everyone around the table fully understood what he was saying. Had this been with a different clientele, he would have received a round of applause when he finished, and he was right—he hadn’t bored anyone. After he had finished, he told the boys to take full advantage of the á la carte menu and if they wanted to ask him anything, to feel free, but to be discreet. He even announced they would be more than compensated for the loss of the Swedish contract that had left such a bitter taste. In truth, all they knew about that was what Gerry had told them and when Lightfoot’s car was clean, they thought they’d been double- crossed. Gerry was a small cog in the machine, but these boys were going to be the engine. Butler felt happy so far with the way he’d oiled it and would fight to maintain it.

  There is nothing like a nice meal washed down with expensive wine to put minds at ease, and this unlikely gathering was starting to feel a bit more comfortable in each other’s company. Dell sat back in his chair, straightening up his poppy as he did so, and looked around the table at the gathered faces. This whole thing intrigued him and gave him much food for thought, but he kept his feelings to himself for now.

  The quintet enjoyed a delicious lunch before Butler turned to Dell and said, “What are you boys saying then, Joe?”

  “Well, Mr. Butler,” began Dell, but Butler stopped him.

  “Please stop calling me that—just Tom or Tommy will do.”

  “Okay, Tom, well, I’ll have to talk to the boys once we’ve left. They just wanted to hear it from the horse’s mouth, so to speak, before making a decision. They actually thought I was on a wind up.”

  “Wind up, eh? I’m just the go-between. This thing isn’t my idea. It’s been commissioned by the government,” said Butler a little heatedly.

  “Yeah, so you say, but we don’t know that, do we?”

  “Do you think I would have wasted my time and money coming out here, and gone out of my way to find you and try to get you on board?” responded Butler.

  “No disrespect, Tom, but you have to see it from our point of view. What you’re asking is no mean feat. We could be being set up. Besides, you always had it in for me when I was young,” protested Dell.

  “Don’t be silly, Joe. We’ve both come a long way since those days. Look, you’ve got a tight little firm here and I know there’s plenty more where these two came from and men like you in these unpredictable times are of great value to our country,” pleaded Butler.

  “Well, let me talk it over with them and I’ll be in touch later or at latest in the morning. Anyway, you keep saying we’ll be looked after financially. You haven’t mentioned a figure. Also, we could end up dead ourselves. There’s a lot for us to consider and a lot more proof will be needed before we form an alliance,” said Dell.

  “Okay, I understand,” replied Butler, calming down. The pair stared each other out for a few seconds and then shook hands.

  Dell wasn’t about to jump in with both feet and neither were the other two, but they were interested in the offer and they wanted to let Butler sweat on it for a while. Dell also wanted to speak to his old confidant, Burt, about this, as he’d been there for him most of his life and Dell respected his opinion. After a pleasant lunch, the group got up and shook hands. Dell’s lot left the other two behind to settle the bill as they headed back up the M40 to London.

  As he sat in the back seat alone, Dell asked the other two what they reckoned.

  “We can’t just sit back and let these scumbags blow up the Legion. My mum and dad go there,” said Funnel.

  “Yeah, and my old man gets in there too,” said Richards.

  “Well, I spoke to Butler at the table and I didn’t show our hand and I told him we want a bit more evidence and not just his word. I totally agree with you boys. I know what it’s like to lose family and I wouldn’t want you two to go through any of that. Anyway, Chrissie and my Harry are going to be there that day too and I ain’t letting anything happen to them. Fuck it, we’ll play him along a bit, but I still don’t trust the cunt. Anyway, it’ll give us something to do. We’ve been a bit quiet of late,” he continued tongue in cheek.

  “Yeah, sod it. Let’s go along with it for now. We can always change our minds and just warn ‘em at the Legion,” said Funnel.

  “Let’s fuckin’ waste the dogs!” said Richards in his succinct way.

  “Well, I wanna run it by Albert and see what he thinks,” said Dell. The other two nodded in agreement. They all looked at Burt as the fourth member of the inner sanctum and they respected his opinion. But when Richards said what he’d just said, Dell knew the death knell had started to toll. Richards was a bloodthirsty type and that was his way of settling matters. They continued talking it over as they headed up the A40 to Big Burt’s.

  As they all walked in, Burt knew something was not right. They looked like a mafia hit squad with faces to match.

  “Alright, boys?” said Burt. “You look dressed to kill. What’s up?”

  “Nothing, mate, we just need one of our chats if you’ve got a minute,” said Dell.

  “Yeah, ‘course, we’ll go upstairs. Sharon, you alright for a bit?” Burt asked.

  “Yeah, sure, Burt,” replied his assistant.

  The four went upstairs to the office and Burt sat at his desk as he looked up at the three.

  “It’s Butler, innit?” said Burt.

  “Yeah! How did you know?” asked Dell.

  “Because I had that bad feeling, remember? And now it’s come back again.”

  “Bloody ‘ell, premonitions are rife round here,” said Dell, then cont
inued to tell Burt the situation with Butler and supposedly MI5, with the other two putting their bit in every now and again. When Dell finished, Burt sat back in his chair and said, “Fuckin’ ‘ell! I told you something was going to happen, but I never imagined anything like this. What are you gonna do then?”

  “Well, a part of me wants to go ahead with it, but I don’t trust Butler. I know him of old. These two are pretty much in. They fancy it,” said Dell, motioning toward Funnel and Richards, who nodded in agreement.

  “Erm, well, this one has surprised me, Joe. But let me think on it and I’ll talk to you about it later. Is that alright? By the way, what are you boys doing now?” asked Burt.

  “Well, not much, why?” asked Dell, looking at the other two.

  “I need a few quid picked up from old Wisey’s place in Chiswick. There’s a grand in it for ya, if you fancy it. Seeing as you lot are looking like the mafia out on a hit,” joked Burt.

  “Yeah, we’ll do that for ya, Burt. Where we going? To his shop on the high road?”

  “Yeah, he said he’s got it, but if he ain’t, he’ll soon get it when you lot walk in,” said Burt with a grin. “Anyway, if I go over there, he’ll make up some excuse to short-change me or get me punting with him so he gets it back.”

  Dell laughed and then said, “Yeah, he’s a slippery cunt like that.”

  “Thanks, Joe. Tell ya what, I’ll see you boys in about an hour in the Country and we’ll have a chat. That alright?” asked Burt.

  “Yeah, we’ll shoot over there now and get your dough and we’ll see you there,” replied Dell, shaking Burt’s hand, as did the other two.

  When the three of them entered Wisey’s shop, “Bet the Wise Way,” Wisey looked up and said, “Can I help you, gentlemen?”

  “Yeah, hello, Don,” said Dell, as he knew he hadn’t recognised him. Don Wise looked at Dell for a moment, then the penny dropped.

  “Fuckin’ hell, it’s Joey Dell. What are you doing here?” he asked nervously, expecting the worst.

  “I’ve come to pick up the scratch for Big Burt,” said Dell.

  “Oh, right, why didn’t Burt come himself? There was no need to send in the heavy mob.”

  “Don’t panic, Don. He’s busy and we’re all going out soon, so he asked us to come over,” replied Dell. “You got it or what?”

  “Yeah, yeah, ‘course I have,” said Wise, shaking as he went to his safe to fetch it.

  Dell turned to the others with a smile, then winked and turned back to face Wise as he handed over a package containing fifteen grand in cash. He hated parting with this sort of money, but he knew this time he wasn’t going to be able to pull a stroke on Burt.

  “There you go, Joe,” said Wise, as he begrudgingly handed over the case.

  “Thank you, Mr. Wise, I’ll see that Burt gets it. I assume you don’t want a receipt? Now have a nice day,” said Dell, smiling as they left.

  “You too,” replied Wise, but without a smile.

  As they drove away, Dell said, “That was nice and easy. Mind you, he hated parting up with it, didn’t he?”

  “Yeah, not much, it was painful,” said Richards.

  “He’s alright, Wisey, really, but I don’t think he liked us turning up,” replied Dell. “Come on, let’s go and see Albert.”

  They headed back to base, where Dell was doubly keen to see Big Burt and talk things over. He felt there was a lot to go through and there was too. This was a completely new situation for all of them and they were all going to need Burt’s expert opinion.

  The boys got back to the pub before Burt arrived and immediately took the corner table, where they could chat without unwanted ears. Burt joined them as soon as he walked in and took his payment after dishing out the grand as promised. On being asked his opinion, Burt gave them a little speech.

  “I must admit, I didn’t expect this, but what I will say, is knowing you boys as I do, in this world, you’re either in or you’re out and some people are neither in nor out, but you lot are definitely in. So I think it doesn’t matter what I say, I know where you lot are gonna go, and I think this situation is out of my hands already. Otherwise, you’d have told Butler to fuck off already. But, boys, all I can say is, be very careful and make sure at the end of the day you’re in control, because if not, you’ll be in trouble and you, of all people, don’t need me to tell you that.”

  They were only doing what they thought was right. But Burt was also right in what he had just said and every one of them knew they were heading into a very short-fused powder keg.

  “I think you’re walkin’ into a very dark place this time,” said Burt.

  “Well, you could be right, but like everyone else, we’re fed up with the state of our country and if we can’t help out in some way, then who can? Something has to be done and quick. The target is where their dads and mums go for a Sunday drink for Christ’s sake, and my little Harry is expected to be there, Burt. And I ain’t havin’ that. No fuckin’ way!” Dell said, slamming his hand down on the table.

  ”Nah, I understand where this is all comin’ from. I just … well, you know, I don’t want anything to happen to any of ya. This reminds me of something years ago in the States involving the CIA and the mafia. It had something to do with Castro, the new Cuban leader at the time, and I’m sure it all went wrong for many of them. Even the president copped it and I’m sure it was all linked somewhere along the line,” said Burt, with a look that said he was trying to recall something he wasn’t too sure of.

  “Yeah, but this lot are just two-bob terrorists and they’re right on our bleedin’ doorstep,” piped up Funnel.

  “I know that, but even two-bob terrorists will have links to others like them, won’t they? I just think you’re going into very murky waters if you go ahead,” replied Burt.

  “Well, we’re gonna go to the next level and see what happens from there,” said Dell.

  It was a possible Pandora’s box, but they couldn’t resist a peep inside. Much to Butler’s delight, another meeting was set up, but this time with people much higher up the food chain than Butler. Problem? Maybe, but although the boys had each spent a bit of time at Her Majesty’s pleasure, they all felt an allegiance to the Queen, and especially the country. Not one of them had a job, but they were certainly paid and now they all felt it was time to give something back. Despite Burt’s words, they were going to make sure England wasn’t going to be just another country. They were in.

  Chapter 35

  Rita meanwhile continued to enjoy her time away from her husband and her son. Both had disgraced the family name and at that moment in her life, she really didn’t care about them. Dick was becoming a real pain. Having had a small taste of prison, he knew that life wasn’t for him and now he didn’t have the support of his wife or his son. He had no one to talk to about it. All Bart was thinking about was himself and what he could possibly inherit from his father’s demise. His mother, having defected as well, just made him even more self-centred and depressed. The Durley family looked set to implode.

  While they were enjoying a night out, Ifty made a mistake. He was about to implicate Rita by saying too much in front of the wrong people. The residential undercover couple wearing their usual matching North Face jackets hadn’t been clocked by Ifty. He sauntered over to Gerry and said, “Alright, Gerry? Where are the boys tonight?”

  “Yeah, fine. What boys?” asked Gerry, looking up from his phone, more interested in that than talking to Ifty, who had clearly had a few.

  “The two Asian guys I put you in touch with. Only they asked me for a motor and I’ve got one sorted for them.”

  “Dunno, mate. I didn’t know they were after one,” replied Gerry.

  “Yeah, they wanted something inconspicuous, so I got a sixteen-plate black Astra lined up for them, You see it’s just that me and Rita can drop it off to ‘em when they’re ready.”

>   “I don’t know anythin’ about it, Ifty. Give ‘em a bell,” said Gerry.

  “I have, but no answer,” said Ifty.

  “Okay. If I see ‘em, I’ll tell ‘em,” said Gerry, getting back to his phone.

  This was precisely why Gerry had been released. He was a priceless source of information even if he didn’t realise it. So now Butler’s team had gotten a bit more information to hand over and a Durley was now involved, and although she would be involved unwittingly, the surveillance team weren’t to know that.

  The following day Bart rang Gerry for some cocaine. His father’s persistent moaning was affecting him. Bart fancied getting on it and getting some light relief from the local escort agency. He was no stranger to these places and in fact was very well known amongst the local call girls, although more as a disappointment than an hour’s excitement, but no one ever told him. This was probably why his wife sought the company of other men, as Bart was apparently notoriously underdeveloped in the male regions. If he didn’t earn half-decent money, he would probably still be a virgin.

  Chapter 36

  Dell and Butler’s meeting with the big boys was arranged for the next day, which gave them a bit of time to talk it over amongst themselves and that included the apprehensive Burt. He thought the whole thing stank and just couldn’t see it ending well for any of them as he constantly reminded them.

  The trio were picked up by Butler and Wilson and then whisked off in a people carrier with blacked-out windows to the same location on the South Bank of the Thames where Butler had had several meetings with the MI5 team. They had been closely monitored as they approached the building and each man had been secretly identified before they even reached the entrance. They went up to the second floor and were shown into a room where they were greeted by two men. One of them opened the meeting.