by Jack Steele
‘Of course you do sir. Let me know as soon as you are ready to leave and we will pick you up and take you there.’
I watched the anguish on his face as he realised his reliable and trusted friend would never be there to chauffeur him around ever again. So I changed the subject and asked for his advice on our current investigation.
‘Do you remember the case of Geb Blood? It happened around two years ago and Carl says it was one of your first investigations.’
‘How could I forget how he butchered those innocent souls in the brickworks? What about it?’
‘Well there was a breakout a few days ago from Broadmoor and he was one of them. We believe he has taken Miranda.’
I’ll always remember that look on his face.
Chapter 25
I could have kicked myself as I stood there watching my boss struggle to comprehend the situation. Scenarios must have flashed across his mind and several times he looked at me as if to say something and then turned away. Stern became lost in his thoughts. He stroked his moustache as his mind was ticking over with the ramifications of being abducted by such a monster. Then he turned to me.
Stern to his credit began to give me a checklist of things to do and who to contact.
‘Make sure you get Graham and Stella to pull all the information available and distribute their profile to all the agencies.’
‘Yes sir these have already been actioned.’
‘Good. You need to revisit the location of where he had his factory. I can’t remember exactly where it was.’
‘It was brickworks near St Albans and we went there.’
‘What did you find?’
‘Apart from some trespassing teenagers there was no sign of him. Most of the factory had been pulled down.’
‘Ok. So you need to visit his home.’
‘Yes we have just come from there and again it looks like he hasn’t returned there either.’
Stern nodded as all the obvious detective work had already been performed. Over the past year since joining the SIU he had instilled in me the importance of a strategy and to follow that up with a strong leadership. He complimented me with my initial investigation and promised that he would assist me as soon as he returned to work.
‘I saw the consultant this morning he informed me that I had died several times. If you hadn’t found me when you did then we wouldn’t be here having this conversation now. It puts a lot of things into context.’
He paused for a second as if to question whether or not it was a good idea to go on but then he began to talk again.
‘It’s time I levelled with you Joe. What I am about to tell you will shock you. It may even make you despise and hate me but if I don’t tell you now then I never will. I have to get it off my chest and you must promise me that this goes no further and is just between the two of us and these four walls.’
I promised him despite whatever hand grenade was going to be tossed into my world.
‘This is a burden. An extremely heavy weight I have carried for these past few years and up till now has been one of my darkest secrets. In my line of work, our line of work, we have to make decisions that are for the good of the team.’
There was another slight pause.
‘Funny how a near death experience can put things into perspective. It makes you realise what matters the most. We can blindly go to work and forget about the most important people in our lives.’
He could see that I was totally absorbed on finding out what appeared to be his confession.
‘I’ve always been a fighter, not just in the army but in life. I’ve battled against red tape and bureaucracy in getting the SIU off the ground. I hurt a lot of good people along the way; it was the ultimate sacrifice to get to this point in time. If I retired now then I feel like I’ve cheated them especially when there is unfinished business. Do you know what I mean?’
‘Yes sir.’ I hadn’t a clue where this was leading but keeping him in a positive frame of mind would help keep his flow.
‘We are cut from the same cloth Joe, you and me, I knew that when I recruited you.’
Then again he went quiet, internally milling things over and over. He kept glancing at me and then staring at the walls of his room as if there was something he wanted to tell me but wasn’t sure. Eventually he began to speak.
‘I’ve made friends and the same amount of enemies Joe, believe me when I say that you will too. My legacy must be protected when you take over the reins and for that to be a successful outcome there is something I must tell you which you must never repeat to anyone not even Carl.’
I promised to keep whatever dark secret he was about to reveal but I certainly wasn’t prepared for what he told me.
Chapter 26
The nurse entered the room and hinted that visiting hours were over for the evening. Carl had just arrived without a paper but had managed to purchase a bottle of tonic water. When the nurse took it from him she asked me to wind up my visit.
I felt as if my whole world had been turned upside down from what Stern had said to me in confidence. We both said our goodbyes and made our way to the end of the ward and the exit onto the corridor. A couple of times Carl asked if I was ok, picking up on my silence.
He had wanted to take me for a pint so we could discuss things but I asked him to take me home. We used a different exit to avoid the cameras outside. When he dropped me off the only way to appease him was a promise that we could talk about it in the morning.
I can’t even remember getting into the lift but here I was turning the key to my door. I threw them into the dish, removed from the fridge a bottle of beer and slumped onto the sofa with my head spinning as I recalled the conversation.
‘Joe, I returned from the tour in Afghanistan more troubled than many realised. The sense of loss hit me hard and for a while I had no direction. I took to gambling and that’s when I met Chico Stettsi.’
My mind flashed back to my meeting with the Mafia boss at a time of extreme difficulty for him and his family. I was there with the commander and watched their interaction together. They talked as if they were friends yet I sensed that could end in a heartbeat.
‘I ran up a lot of debt and Chico bailed me out. It was down to him that I got back on my feet but now I am and always will be in his pocket. The Penthouse is in my name but belongs to him. I am sorry Joe but I had my reasons for putting you in there. Now I am telling you to get out.’
I drank my beer as I looked around the living room with the large television screen and modern prints hanging on the wall. The French doors leading onto the terrace where Carl and I had spent so many times chatting and admiring the views over the Thames.
Everything was tarnished by its association with the Mafia. He was right I had to get out but where and why now? Miranda is probably suffering God only knows what at the hands of Blood. Gemma is slowly making progress but is nowhere near ready to come home and I worry about her having a setback. The plans were for her to move in here when she was ready to leave the Sanctuary so now that was impossible.
I didn’t have time to search for properties when I had so much on my plate. The anger was building up inside of me. Corruption was within our Organisation. That’s why Stern personally dealt with some issues relating to the Stettsi family. He knew that, even when my own personal life was put in danger. Then there were the attacks on Carl and Stella which Jasper could have helped more to avoid. The mere thought of him made me feel rage. The snake in the grass, the rotten apple and the undercover agent more likely the double agent!
The thought of Jasper and Stern mixed up with Organised Crime when they should be squeaky clean was the final straw. My empty beer bottle smashed into the wall exploding into tiny pieces. I roared and put my head in my hands. What a mess! How can an organisation like the SIU look so professional on the outside yet be so corrupted on the inside? If this ever got out into the public domain we wouldn’t stand a chance. It would inevitably take us down. The Mafia already kne
w that. What was the legacy that Stern would leave to me on his retirement? The politicians would be quick to replace us with a new unit. Our credibility would be worthless.
My phone vibrated and when I saw Graham’s name on the phone my first thought was to ignore it, but that other part of my brain told me to pick it up in case something had happened to Miranda. It was far worse than I could have imagined.
‘It’s Stella! She’s become the Chameleon’s latest victim!’
Chapter 27
Carl was speeding along with the siren and blue flashing lights clearing a path up ahead. Luckily the traffic was lighter tonight and we were making good progress to Miranda’s house.
Graham had informed us of a scuffle outside her home which he witnessed on the CCTV feed. I could hear a man talking to Graham via speakerphone. I recognised the voice as belonging to Andy Webster, one of Miranda’s forensic team.
‘I was taking some equipment to the van when I noticed one of the Met’s Scientific Support team crouched in the garden.’
Andy’s voice began to crack as he tried to continue with what had happened next.
‘Well, I believed him to be one of us seeing that he was wearing all the gear, the white nylon suit, latex gloves and mask. So naturally I ignored him…..because I wanted to get back to Stella…. who had shown up ten minutes earlier.’
Graham reassured him that Carl and I were on our way and would arrive within minutes. It was at that point that I decided to cut into the conversation.
‘Andy, this is Joe Stone. Carl and I have just passed the road down to headquarters and we are literally a minute away.’
The adrenaline that had given him the courage to contact Graham was now subsiding and every word sounded like a struggle. I feared that he may pass out not knowing of his injuries. I had to keep him talking.
‘Andy you must be able to hear our siren now we are just down the road.’ There was no reply and we couldn’t get there quickly enough. As soon as Carl pulled up outside we ran past the ripped police tape and inside the house. There was no time to worry about contamination of the crime scene we had to find Andy. We split up to hasten the search. I bounded up the stairs two at a time while Carl searched downstairs. I had just reached the landing when Carl bellowed below.
‘He’s here in the dining room!’
I quickly joined Carl who had called for an ambulance despite Andy sitting up on the floor resting against the leg of a sturdy oak table. He was still wearing his forensic white nylon suit but his hood was down revealing a red neck, a broken nose and what will later turn out to be a black eye. His black hair was matted with his own blood from a nasty looking cut which would need stitches.
‘I think the shock of his encounter with Geb Blood has just hit him.’ Carl spoke softly as I crouched down to be at eye level with them both.
Carl went into the kitchen and returned with a cup of water. He ordered our colleague to take a sip and try to recall what happened.
‘When Stella arrived she was in a foul mood, storming around demanding to know how Miranda had been assaulted and other stuff. I was just packing up because all our forensic evidence had been taken to the lab earlier. That made her even angrier! She began shouting at someone who was in the front garden. I knew it was the forensics guy but didn’t expect what happened next. It turned ugly.’
He physically shivered as he relived events that were still fresh in his mind. What he revealed next showed us who exactly we were dealing with.
Chapter 28
‘He is larger than you Carl! When I went to check what all the shouting was about I saw Stella with her fists up and performing some kind of martial arts on this huge bulk of a guy.’
I visualised the scene. Stella wouldn’t let him take her down without a fight; such was her kick ass nature.
‘When she yelled for me to ring for assistance that’s when I saw it was Geb Blood. He suddenly came for me. I slipped over on some plastic sheeting and before I could get back up he was on top of me with his hands around my throat.’
Andy grew increasingly agitated and I spoke softly asking him to relax and take his time. He took another sip of water then continued.
‘Stella hit Blood with something and that caused him to release his grasp. I was choking and finding it difficult to breathe but in saving me she had got herself cornered….’
Andy’s voice trailed off once again and it took Carl putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder to get him to finish. The emotional battle to inform us would equate to the fight they were having.
‘He kept blocking her kicks and punches always moving closer until he grabbed her neck and then kept bashing her head against the wall. I had to save her and picked up a candlestick from Miranda’s sideboard. I smashed his skull with all the energy I could muster but he swung round and clubbed me with his fist.’
Andy touched his nose and winced at the pain. He then felt his scalp giving it a rub before bringing his fingers down to his gaze. There was a mix of fresh and dried blood causing him to curse under his breath.
‘Steady Andy,’ Carl whispered and gave him the cup to have another drink. ‘Perhaps I should have put some gin in that for you.’ His humour raised a smile on Andy’s lips.
‘Is there anything else you can tell me?’
‘Only this, Joe, I must have been temporarily knocked out but came round just as he threw Stella over his shoulder, then took her to his vehicle.’
It was the worst possible news. Questions ran through my head like flames through a tinder dry forest. Why hadn’t I ensured someone was with her? How did he know she was there at that time? Had she been followed? Who else is he after? I needed answers. Then my earpiece crackled.
‘Joe, I’ve got something.’ Graham was looking at the camera feed from opposite the park gates which also had Miranda’s home on camera. The technology available to Graham ensured he could take the direct feed on request from the council CCTV control centre.
‘What does it show? Can you see Geb Blood?’
Graham described the black and white video footage as Stella arrived and pulled on a paper suit and covers for her shoes.
‘She went inside and five minutes later another forensics person walks into shot and rips the cordon tape away! He then starts looking in the small front garden as a few people pass.’ He describes Andy taking equipment to the van and going back inside the house then let’s out a gasp.
‘Sorry. That was awful. He just made a grab for Stella! They start fighting, she kicks his mask off, he follows her into the house, leaves her and Andy gets involved…ouch! He just got pole-axed by a single punch to the jaw!’
It’s never pleasant to see someone you know being assaulted. It was lucky for Andy that he too wasn’t abducted for trying to protect Stella.
‘Do the pictures show a positive identification for Geb Blood?’
There was a pause and a mumble as he studied the pictures but unfortunately he replied that they didn’t.
‘He is wearing the forensic suit complete with hood. It’s a good disguise; well it would be I guess being ‘the Chameleon’. He has his back to camera up until he picks her up and then pulled his hood over so I can’t see his face. What the video does show is a white van leaving the area so I will try and get the number plate as well as other camera feeds to try and follow it.’
This only took place a short time ago but we were too late to even intercept the van. It was long gone to wherever he was keeping his hostages.
A pain grew in intensity in my stomach which was a sure sign of my anxiety. It felt like Geb Blood’s fist was inside me twisting and turning pulling at my spleen and internal organs. He was always one step ahead of me. Yet another of our team had been abducted. I felt sick at the thought that two of our beloved colleagues were prey to his sick and twisted experiments. Graham’s words haunted me for the rest of that night.
‘I’m sure it is Geb Blood, so now he has Miranda and Stella!’
Chapter 29
The Met’s forensic team turned up at the same time as a police patrol car. We informed them of what had happened and thanked them for their response which had been immediate and extremely professional. They agreed to cordon off the area with fresh tape and guard the house while the scientific support searched for anything that would tie Geb Blood to the scene.
Carl stood by the ambulance door as Andy was being secured inside. I could hear the paramedic explain that Andy was suffering from severe concussion caused by a powerful blow to the head. They were taking him to the King George Hospital A&E for treatment and observation.
The ambulance departed just as my earpiece buzzed with an update from Graham.
‘I’ve put one of my guys solely onto the CCTV cameras to trace where Blood’s van is heading. If luck is on our side we could have this all wrapped up by the end of tonight.’
I felt resigned to the fact that this wasn’t going to be that easy despite having luck play a vital part in previous investigations. Could I allow myself to think that the tide was turning in our favour? I just prayed that one of the cameras could provide us with the number plate to make tracking him down even easier.
Before we left the scene I decided to check on Stella’s car. It was locked but on noticing her earpiece abandoned on the passenger seat, I felt a wave of emotions rush over me. I had stressed at the morning briefing how important it was for everyone to wear it in case of attack. If she had worn it we could have been alerted of her struggle. Maybe our response would have resulted in intercepting Geb Blood before he left with her. I let out a roar in frustration and noticed we were being observed by several of her neighbours peering behind a gap in their drawn curtains.
