The Conspiracy 5

by Jack Probyn

  Hammond held his hand in the air, stepped away from the conversation and made a call. While they waited, Jake turned on the spot, cast his gaze around him and surveyed the area. He hadn’t realised it, but in the short time that they’d been talking, the uniformed officers of Hampshire police had cordoned off all access points to the roundabout, blocking the road as far as the IKEA car park in the distance behind him.

  But, as he stood there, waiting for the tactical firearms team to arrive, Jake couldn’t but feel like it would all be a little too late.

  A cough distracted him. It was Hammond.

  ‘SFO has given the green light for Candice Strachan’s arrival. She’s good to attend.’

  | EPISODE 5 |

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  SURRENDER

  Luke was lost. Physically. Emotionally. Mentally. Everything he had ever thought about his brothers was a lie, a façade, an act. His entire life had been a tournament for them both to fight in. And he was the prize. They’d used him for their own narcissistic gain. He was most hurt by Michael. They had bonded the most during their childhoods. Almost been inseparable. Shopping together. Walking to school. Catching the bus. All while Danny was working somewhere, bringing in the money so that they could eat and drink that night. But Michael… he had been Luke’s confidant, his closest companion, and it was only now that Luke realised it had never been reciprocated – Michael had never told him about anything that was really going on – and that there was an overwhelming disconnect between them.

  In fact, there was a disconnect between the three of them. In the space of a few hours, their entire family had crumbled. A mother and their sons split up in the wild, each left to fend for themselves. The metaphor disturbed Luke. He conjured images of blood and massacre and death… and eventually, a pride of lions being trapped by poachers. Surrounded by weapons. Forced to surrender.

  Luke closed his eyes and banished the thoughts from his mind.

  He found a nearby bench and sat on it, his head spinning. He removed the key from his pocket and played with it in his fingers. The rusted metal was tinted a shade of green and brown, yet it still managed to glimmer in the sunlight. Luke hoped it was a sign, but he didn’t believe in that sort of thing. It was no use having it anyway. He had no idea where Candice was and no means of getting to her. He wished he’d taken Dennis’s number; he could use a somewhat friendly face right now.

  Snap out of it, you idiot, he told himself. Stop being a twat.

  A siren sped past him, grabbing his attention. Luke’s head shot upwards and he glimpsed a police car roaring down the street where it parked up beside another police car on a piece of grass in the distance. At the sight of the flashing lights, Luke’s skin turned cold. The hunters were closing in around him.

  And Danny.

  A moment of epiphany slapped Luke across the face. It was a farce. It was all wrong. A mistake. The police would find his brother on the ship. Of course they would. Danny was stupid enough to be on there in the first place when they should have had a Plan C, something they’d never needed before. But Danny was too confident in his own plan, too cocksure, too brazen. He had ignored almost all of Freddy’s rules – the mantra they had all sworn by when their former leader was still with them. And for what? A stupid bitch who was going to steal all of his money anyway? Luke wished Louise had never entered their lives.

  An anger from deep within him rose to his lungs. He wanted to scream, but he couldn’t. His mouth wouldn’t work.

  He stared at the bag of money in front of him. Contemplating. With the amount he had, he could live any life he wanted. There wasn’t much people wouldn’t give to have that same luxury. And yet, here he was, pissing about with it, considering throwing it all away. His mind turned to the people who had been hurt in the process. The people who had died so that he could have the meaningless sheets of paper and diamonds sat before him. Luke thought of the employee who Danny had shot mercilessly, the Audi owner, the police officer, the families in their cars.

  It was wrong. So wrong. They had gone too far. An entire city had suffered because of their evil – Danny’s evil. And both he and Michael were complicit, even though they’d never pulled the trigger.

  Luke’s mind turned to Candice. And then he realised: the police were after him; they were only a few hundred yards away; they would know where Candice was; they would be able to save her. He would be able to save her. Even if it meant giving himself up to the police.

  Luke squeezed his head in his hands and glanced towards the barricade of police vehicles in the distance.

  A moment later, he’d made his decision.

  It was better for everyone if he did it this way. Him. Danny. Michael. The families of those that had suffered. Candice. Everyone.

  Grabbing his bag, Luke slung it over his shoulder and started to shuffle towards the army of law enforcement that were setting up a cordon in the middle of the street.

  | EPISODE 5 |

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  BARGAIN

  It didn’t take long for Hampshire Police to remove all seeds of doubt in Jake’s mind about their efficiency and effectiveness during the operation. Within minutes, a plethora of police cars – both undercover and liveried – along with ambulances and fire engines had arrived at Mayflower Roundabout, with some of the vehicles spilling into the park on the other side of the treeline. They’d evacuated the area and sent the city in lockdown. And, as Jake folded his arms and rested them against his chest, impressed with what he saw, a black van waded its way through the stationary police vehicles and pulled up a few yards away from the roundabout. It was the armed response and tactical firearms units. Everyone in the area watched in high anticipation as the van came to a halt and four armed officers deftly disembarked from the back of the vehicle. They fanned out, making their way slowly to the front of the van. Two of them approached Jake, Bridger and PS Hammond. Both of the armed officers were of similar height and build to one another, and their features were hidden behind helmets and masks.

  ‘PS Riggs,’ the man on the left said. ‘I’m the Operational Firearms Commander.’ Strapped over his shoulder was a SIG MCX 556 Carbine. Standard issue. He turned to his colleague, and said, ‘And this is PC Radcliffe.’

  PC Radcliffe gave a curt nod at the mention of his name and tilted his visor skywards, revealing a small scar above his eyebrow. On his bare wrist, he wore a scorpion tattoo stained into his skin.

  Bridger introduced himself and Jake, leaving PS Hammond till last. All five men shook hands.

  ‘What’s the status?’ Bridger asked.

  ‘We’ve got sixteen plainclothes AFOs making their way on board now. They’re going to conduct a thorough and methodical sweep of the boat, searching for the offenders.’

  ‘Do they know what Danny and Luke look like?’

  ‘They’ve been sent the visuals, yes.’

  ‘Their mugshots?’ It was Jake’s turn to speak. ‘That’s not good enough.’ Jake paused for a moment while an idea formed in his mind. He needed to get on that boat. He needed to put an end to it – partly for his own vanity, but partly because he didn’t want to see Danny and Luke escape again. ‘I can confirm their identities,’ he continued. ‘I’ve seen them. You’ll need to get me on board. The last thing we want is to shoot or arrest innocent people and alert them to our presence.’

  Just as PS Riggs was about to respond, the roundabout filled with screams and shouts emanating behind him. Jake spun on the spot and turned to face the source of the commotion. Fifty yards away, on the wrong side of the police cordon, was a figure sauntering towards them, carrying a bag in his hands that jolted and swayed with each step. Jake’s eyes widened. He sidestepped closer to Bridger’s car.

  ‘Is that…?’ Bridger asked.

  ‘Yes,’ Jake replied, unable to tear his gaze from the man approaching them.

  ‘Which one?’

  Jake squinted to get a better view of the person’s face, and as the man came closer, he recognised the yo
ung features. The red cheeks. The blonde hair.

  ‘Luke.’

  At the mention of one of the Cipriano brothers’ names, PS Riggs cried out, barking orders to the authorised firearms officers. PC Radcliffe and the rest of the armed officers raised their weapons and sprinted towards Luke.

  Screams of ‘Armed police!’ pierced the air.

  ‘Wait!’ Jake said, rushing behind the officers. Twenty yards away, Luke came to a stop and dropped the bag by his side. He was surrounded by tarmac on both sides. Behind him was the police cordon, and in front of him were five armed officers aiming their submachine guns at him. There was nowhere for him to go.

  Tentatively, keeping his hands raised in the air, Jake crossed the threshold into the line of fire and entered his very own No Man’s Land.

  ‘Hold your fire!’ he screamed, his voice breaking mid-sentence.

  He knew that what he was doing was risky and breaking several procedures, but he needed to step in. Something wasn’t right. And it was his job to get to the bottom of it.

  After a few seconds of uncertainty and silence, PS Riggs ordered the officers to stand down. They lowered their weapons slowly.

  Jake took a deep breath before beginning.

  ‘What are you doing here, Luke?’

  The young man kept his head low and his arms raised, but there was no response.

  ‘Where’s Danny?’

  Still nothing.

  ‘Luke – we can help you.’

  At that, Luke’s head lifted.

  ‘Michael’s safe, Luke. He didn’t get hurt. He’s being looked after,’ Jake said.

  Luke lowered his arms.

  ‘You need to keep them above your head, mate, otherwise these guys have got their instructions.’

  Luke did as he was told, although he looked as though he’d given up – as though he’d lost all the fight left within him.

  ‘What’s in the bag, Luke?’ Jake asked, trying a different approach. It was then that he noticed the undisturbed silence around him. Even the traffic in the far-off distance, the gentle lapping of the waves, the rushing coastal wind, seemed to have muted.

  ‘Money,’ came the monosyllabic response.

  ‘The money you stole from Candice?’

  ‘We didn’t steal it from Candice – she gave it to us. She shared it with us.’ There was a hoarseness in Luke’s voice, as though there was a barrage of tears that would come flooding out as soon as the gates opened. All Jake needed to do was open them.

  ‘Yes. That’s right. She gave it to you. She was your mother, wasn’t she?’

  ‘Is,’ Luke corrected. ‘Is my mother. She ain’t dead yet.’ He raised his gaze and stared at Jake. They were of a similar age, yet both had led very different lives at the opposite ends of the spectrum. Luke had led a life of crime and constant oppression, whereas Jake’s was normal, civilised. He had gone to school, university, and now here he was. There were opportunities available to Jake that Luke had never been considered for.

  ‘She won’t be alive for long, Luke. And you know it…’ Jake brushed his tie and loosened his collar; it felt as though it was strangling him. ‘She told us everything. About you. Michael. Danny. The device.’ Jake hesitated. ‘Help us, Luke. Help us arrest him. He’ll be out of your life and you’ll never have to see him again. If nothing else, do it for Candice. She’s dead if you don’t.’

  Luke’s expression changed to a steely, cold glare.

  ‘How do I know I can trust you?’

  ‘Do you remember Freddy?’

  ‘Yeah.’

  ‘Did you know he had a wife and kids?’

  Luke nodded.

  ‘Did you know he’s been writing to them – he’s been writing to you as well – and he’s not heard a single word from them in return.’ Jake swallowed, hoping he was convincing enough in his lie. ‘Well, they’re going to see him tomorrow. I spoke with them earlier. Freddy wouldn’t talk to me unless I persuaded them to visit. Little Sammy is really excited to see his daddy for the first time. If I can get them to visit him, then I promise you that you can—’

  ‘Where’s my mum? I need to see her. I want to see her.’

  ‘And you will. She’s on her way down now. All I need you to do is make a call to your brother, and then she’ll be allowed to come out. So long as you agree to give us what we want.’

  ‘I’m not helping until I see her.’

  Jake pursed his lips and shrugged.

  ‘Then we’ll just have to wait.’

  | EPISODE 5 |

  CHAPTER NINE

  RADCLIFFE

  A few minutes of silence passed. Luke remained where he was, staring up at the sky, kept still by the numerous SIGs trained on him. Deeming it safe to do so, Jake wandered back to Bridger, Riggs and Hammond.

  ‘You think he’ll do it?’ Bridger asked as Jake returned.

  ‘He’ll have to if he wants Candice to live. It’s his only option.’

  Bridger patted Jake on the back. ‘Well played.’

  It was a hollow victory. He hated lying to people, but he also hated what The Crimsons had done, and how much devastation they had caused, not only to people’s property but to their livelihoods. Their behaviour was inexcusable and all three of them deserved whatever punishment the law practiced on them.

  ‘I just wish Pemberton would hurry up. Every minute wasted is another minute Danny could escape,’ Jake said.

  ‘Don’t worry,’ Riggs said. ‘The captain’s been made aware and is currently holding fire. He’s under instruction that, under no circumstances, is he to move the boat.’

  ‘What? You’re going to leave it waiting there?’

  Riggs nodded.

  Jake shook his head in disbelief. ‘That’s the wrong idea,’ he began. ‘Danny Cipriano is dangerous. His actions today have proven that he’s irrational and willing to exercise any form of protection against himself and the ones he loves. But the longer you keep that boat idle, the more suspicious Danny’s going to get. And the more he’s going to retaliate. None of us have any idea what he might have been able to smuggle on board. If he can bring on several million pounds’ worth of jewels, then he can bring on some firepower.’ Jake swallowed before continuing. ‘Tell him to wait until I go on board. I’ll be able to identify the right man.’

  ‘We’ll get you on board now then,’ Riggs said.

  ‘I’ve got to deal with this first,’ Jake replied, gesturing to Luke in the distance.

  ‘How long’s that—‘

  Jake’s phone started ringing. He silenced Riggs with a wave of the hand and answered the call.

  ‘Hello?’

  ‘Jake,’ Danika began. ‘I’ve spoken with the cruise company. Nobody under the name Harrington has boarded the ship. All four tickets are still awaiting collection.’

  ‘What do you mean?’ he asked.

  ‘None of the brothers have got on the boat.’

  ‘Fuck,’ Jake said loudly. His fears had been confirmed. Was this another decoy? Was Danny already on his way to another part of the country to escape their clutches again?

  Jake thanked Danika for the update and hung up.

  ‘What is it?’ Bridger asked as soon as he’d finished the call.

  ‘Harrington. The tickets. They’ve not been checked in.’ Jake advanced towards Luke without giving Bridger a chance to reply. ‘Where is Danny, Luke? He never used the Harrington ticket.’

  ‘I don’t know,’ Luke said, raising his hands higher in surrender.

  ‘Why isn’t he on board the ferry?’

  ‘I don’t know. I thought he was.’

  ‘Did he tell you where he was going?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘Where is he?’

  ‘I don’t know!’ Luke gesticulated wildly. ‘I don’t know, all right? I don’t know where he is.’ He turned his attention to the white markings in the middle of the tarmac. ‘He must have bought another ticket…’

  ‘Another one?’

  ‘Another one,’ Luke r
epeated. ‘For him and Louise.’

  As soon as he finished speaking, a look of horror slapped Luke across the face, as if he’d just spoken out of line in the classroom and was awaiting his immediate punishment.

  ‘Who’s Louise, Luke?’ Jake asked, cautiously closing the distance between them one step at a time.

  Luke shook his head.

  ‘Is she a sister?’

  No.

  ‘A friend?’

  No.

  ‘Girlfriend?’

  Luke stopped shaking his head.

  ‘What’s her surname, Luke?’

  Luke returned Jake’s gaze.

  ‘Where’s my mum? I want to speak to her.’

  ‘She’s coming. Remember? I told you she was nearby.’

  ‘You’re lying. It’s been too long.’

  Where the fuck is Pemberton?

  Almost as if on cue, a white police van appeared over Luke’s left shoulder. It snaked its way through the traffic and sped the short distance to the roundabout on the other side of the road. As it stopped, the weight of the vehicle tested the suspension, bowing the car forward.

  Luke’s head darted towards the van. ‘Mum!’ he shouted, and then sprinted towards the vehicle. At once, he was prohibited by the wall of armed officers who were quicker to react than Jake. They charged at Luke, keeping their bodies low and their weapons trained on him.

  ‘Get down on the ground! Now!’

  Luke ignored them, and as he reached the central island that separated the two streams of traffic, a door opened on the side of the vehicle and Candice Strachan fell out. At the same time, Pemberton alighted the vehicle and rushed to Candice’s side, holding the woman’s arms behind her back. The sight of her son was too much for Candice – she broke free from Pemberton’s restraint and bolted towards him.