Dark Secrets

by Jack Steele

  ‘I have a secret Norman so listen carefully.’

  He leant in as I purposely lowered my voice to a whisper.

  ‘My boss has admitted to me that the Penthouse I am occupying isn’t in fact owned by him. I thought it was of course. Would you know or be able to find out who is the legal owner of the Penthouse as well as the entire block?’

  He looked at me with a slight hesitation as to what to say in reply.

  ‘Is it important?’

  ‘Vital.’

  He stroked his beard in a similar fashion to how Graham used to. I waited as he contemplated the ramifications of my question.

  ‘Normally I wouldn’t do that on principle Joe but seeing as it is you asking me, plus the way the owners have treated me - I’ll look into it for you.’

  I thanked him and we shook hands for what seemed a long time and only broke off to answer Carl who had activated my earpiece. I wondered if he had forgotten something as usually he wouldn’t call me except for an emergency.

  ‘I have a white transit van tailing me. I’m sure it’s Blood and Cross!’

  Chapter 64

  Scenarios played out in my head like a digital photo frame on rapid sequence. Do I call for back up, should I go to intercept Carl? What if he drove all the way home, could a welcoming party be available in time? What if the van occupants were not who he thought they were? He had been wrong a few times before.

  ‘I’m coming up to the underpass. What should I do?’ he sounded suitably stressed knowing that two psychopaths were ready to take him down.

  I was trying to refocus and shake off my anger at his stubborn stupidity for getting into this situation. Norman had gone to his desk to retrieve a shotgun. He winked as he held it in his hands. I got the message.

  ‘Bring them back here Carl. We have a welcoming committee!’

  ‘I will let you know when I’m close, just approaching the roundabout now.’

  The primary objective was to keep Carl safe. If they caught him and overpowered him he couldn’t put up much resistance against two psychopaths even though he was built like an ox.

  The Met’s helicopter was immediately scrambled but I couldn’t reach either Stern or the Commissioner to provide more back up. Instead, I called Scott at headquarters to ring around and drum up support in the short space of time we had available to us.

  Norman now stood beside me. It was like the spark inside him was reignited. The welcome rush of adrenaline was flowing through his veins once again. He patted his shotgun.

  ‘Always be prepared my boy. It will never leave us.’

  We made our way to the entrance door and as I went to open it I turned to my new recruit to ask if he was ready.

  ‘I was born ready Joe!’ He replied as he took the safety off his weapon.

  Chapter 65

  We headed outside and sprinted to the blue bridge carrying traffic over the river Thames. Carl would pass along it and lead our fugitives into our trap. If only we had more fire power it was risky to disable their vehicle despite just a few people walking either side of the bridge.

  Scott informed me that the Met were sending four cars directly to us and would reach us in a matter of minutes and the helicopter would reach us around the same time.

  As far as my plan was progressing the backup wasn’t going to arrive in time. I prayed that the steady flow of traffic continued for fear of Carl’s car stopping and the van behind reaching him before we could. Timing was critical and it was then that a number six bus stopped opposite to where Norman and I were waiting.

  This could turn seriously ugly and I informed Carl that if he slowed down adequately enough when he reached us I could take out the van’s tyres giving us a chance to catch them. I ordered Norman to get his car so if we needed to chase the van then we had that option. He didn’t bemoan the fact that he wouldn’t discharge his weapon; he was a true professional and did as I asked.

  ‘Joe I’m about to reach the bridge.’ Carl informed me of the impending situation. My heart was pounding and I pulled out my gun keeping it by my side as a few people walked past oblivious of what was about to happen.

  ‘Carl you need to be almost at a stop when I take out their tyres otherwise they could swerve into people around here.’

  ‘I’m on the bridge and they are almost on my rear bumper. It’s definitely them!’

  There was no going back as the sounds of police sirens filled the air. They were heading from the South Quay direction and I had ordered them to hang back for fear of the psychopaths suddenly becoming spooked and jumping from their van to take a hostage.

  I quickly envisaged taking out the tyres but what if they swerved into pedestrians. Could I take such a risk? I assumed that it would work but was not totally assured of success. In my mind flashed a picture of Stern shouting at me to never to assume anything. He drew two lines either side of the U in the word assume, then pointed to the letters saying it makes an ass out of you and me!

  No I couldn’t assume. In a sudden change of mind I decided to abort my idea in case it endangered the public. Instead it would be a pursuit. The sound of the police helicopter could be heard in the distance.

  I told Carl the change of plan that Norman and I would now follow in his car. Scott was co-ordinating my plans with the police to lead them into a non-urban area and then we would strike.

  ‘Where am I heading?’ Carl asked.

  My mind was racing with possible venues each of which I discounted for fear of the public living nearby. Then a suitable area came to mind.

  ‘Head for Mudchute Park Carl.’

  ‘Good plan!’ he replied as his car went past slowly and then I saw Jez Cross in the white van looking directly at the car in front of them. It was the first time I had seen him in the flesh and he looked more evil than in his mugshot. I shouted with nervous tension the number plate on the van.

  ‘Roger that!’ replied Scott.

  They drove past just as Norman’s car arrived behind me. ‘We are in pursuit Carl, keep updating me on your progress. We have a helicopter in the sky and four police cars following you.’

  Scott linked me up to the police support and as I jumped into the passenger seat of his old Volvo car I began to feel slightly positive.

  Now we were chasing the fugitives with plenty of back up to support us. The police cars swept behind us and in the sky the helicopter hovered with the pilot offering a detailed description of the chase.

  ‘The pursuit is continuing down Manchester Road and has just passed St John’s Park.’

  I realised that we could have led them to that location but in the suddenness of the occasion I couldn’t remember the name. At least I knew Mudchute well because that’s where I have run a few circuits recently. I kept promising myself that my jogging would resume once the last investigation had concluded but now I wondered whether being in charge of the team would ever allow for that. Could it be that soon we would have the two in our cells and save our colleagues?

  Everything seemed to be going so well when suddenly events took a dramatic turn.

  Chapter 66

  Carl shouted that he had seen in his rear view mirror the van suddenly swerve and had taken a side road. ‘It’s up to you guys now.’

  I knew the layout well and the helicopter took control of guiding us because their van was quite a way ahead of us. I cursed my stupidity to think this was almost over as Norman took a right past the Isle of Dogs police station.

  We sped down Seyssel Street with parked cars either side. Norman was enjoying his moment but I wasn’t. There were houses on either side of us and anyone could run out in front of the car. It happened to me a while ago now but it still gives me nightmares. Norman was concentrating on catching up with the van and considering it was a twenty mile per hour restricted area, his speed of sixty was edge of the seat stuff.

  My earpiece crackled and Scott announced more assistance was on the way.

  ‘We have squad cars all over this area like a rash they can’t
possibly escape.’

  My heart was pumping with adrenaline. If one of these turns became a dead end we had them. I knew better than to think too far ahead because the van was still a short distance away.

  Scott established contact with the Central Communications Command which had a direct link to the National Air Support Unit. The helicopter kept us informed of the van’s location as we made great progress towards it.

  Up ahead was a sharp turn to the left and I felt we were going too fast to negotiate it safely? I pushed myself into the seat expecting a collision but Norman casually pulled on his handbrake and manoeuvred the bend like an experienced rally driver. The tyres squealed with the effort and a group of kids playing football to our right, stopped and looked to see what was going on.

  It was a reminder that we were in a residential area but Norman was solely focussed on the prize. I could see now why he was good at his job as a spy with the secret service.

  ‘All units the van has been abandoned at the far end of Stebondale Street. The occupants are on foot and running away through Mudchute Park.’

  My mind was racing as I saw the van up ahead. Carl had been following the progress and was pulling up to the van just as we arrived.

  ‘Don’t let anyone near this van Norman. We need to seal it off for forensics.’

  ‘You can count on me Joe. Now get those parasites!’

  We gave chase just as the Air Support mentioned the fugitives were under the trees, most of which still even at this time of year had a thick canopy of leaves.

  ‘If they carry on running directly ahead then they will come out at Canary Wharf.’

  Carl and I ran past allotments which seemed to stretch a long way. It was possible that one of them had diverted into these and holed up in a shed. That idea was discounted because then they would have no cover from the trees so they had probably just kept running straight on.

  The helicopter was just above us and the sound of police sirens echoed all around. As we neared the end of the park I could see through the canopy of leaves what looked like a chimney stack similar to the one at the old brickworks. I pointed it out to Carl who registered he had seen it too by giving me a thumbs up. There was a road up ahead beyond which was a high brick wall protecting the Docklands Light Railway. As we drew nearer there was an underpass on the other side of the East Ferry Road which would take us directly under the railway line.

  We were joined by three police cars who screeched to a halt and three officers followed us into the underpass. It was a cacophony of noise but nothing I imagined would compare to us barging down their door a few feet away and rescuing our colleagues.

  We exited the park directly into Millwall Outer Dock. A few more strides and we were literally in the Thames. A metal railing prevented access to the river. Gasping for breath we looked left and right frantically searching for someone running from the scene.

  The helicopter appeared overhead and our attention was drawn towards the tall chimney on our left. We had police backup and everything we could possibly want to end this investigation but we soon discovered that the chimney, far from being a part of the brickworks, was a historic relic from the building of the docks in 1865. The search of nearby buildings proved they had got away and it made me feel utterly devastated.

  Chapter 67

  ‘You did your best Joe.’ Carl graciously offered, hoping to lift me from my gloom but I had nagging doubts about my leadership. I felt empty after such a promising outcome and berated myself for daring to believe we had them this time.

  Looking across the dock there were office complexes and living accommodation on either side. The Glengall steel bridge spanned across the waterway and I remembered it was there just last month I nearly died at the hands of a psychopath. This area for all its beauty held nothing but bad memories and negative thoughts for me.

  ‘The Met have arrived at the address registered to the van. It was reported stolen last Wednesday but no one paid him a visit until now.’

  ‘Does he have any connection with either of them Carl?’

  ‘The police are interviewing him now so we should know soon.’

  The whole of London’s Metropolitan Police had saturated the area around here and a five mile radius covering the Isle of Dogs, Canary Wharf and Tower Hamlets. It was one of the biggest manhunts carried out in recent history. All we could do now was wait and see if all the hard work would pay off.

  We took the offer of a ride back to our car where we saw Norman patrolling the area around the van like a member of Dad’s Army. I thanked him for his role in the chase but I made a mental note never to be a passenger in his car ever again. He promised to wait with the police unit for the forensics to arrive and then he would make his way back to the apartment block. It was like the whole episode had invigorated him and breathed new life into his soul. Maybe he had been put out for pasture too early especially when he could offer such a breadth of experience. At least for my part I had helped him recapture that buzz and I hoped it stayed with him for a long time.

  Carl and I got back into his car and set off for Bannister House so that he could get more clothing and anything else required for a short stay over mine. I pulled out my mobile phone to check if I had any missed calls. There was one and when I saw who it was from I had to show his name to Carl. It was from Jasper Peach.

  Chapter 68

  It was seven o’clock and we were at my dining table devouring pizza, chips and garlic bread. I had my mobile phone alongside me so that I didn’t miss another call from Jasper. Each time I rang his number it went straight to voicemail.

  The digital radio on my kitchen windowsill was tuned to the BBC 5-live radio station and we were listening to Shell Baker’s new talk show.

  I was first on and in the introduction the many successes of the SIU were listed before my interview started. Carl listened intently as we discussed the breakout and rioting at the high security hospitals as well as the dangerous fugitives on the run. It was a confirmation of everything the Commissioner had said earlier in his morning briefing outside New Scotland Yard.

  The interview didn’t last long and then she introduced her next guest.

  ‘With me now is Mike James, a spokesperson for the POA which was formerly the Prison Officers Association but now is the Trade Union for Prison, Correctional and Secure Psychiatric Workers. Now Mike you have been campaigning for better working conditions and staffing levels for your members for some time.’

  ‘Yes we have. The deteriorating conditions in all our old prisons have caused extra stress to our members who have seen their numbers cut amidst a rise in assaults leading to a crisis in our prisons. Most of our high security prisons now have intolerable working conditions and we have said quite categorically we won’t stand for this any longer.’

  ‘This also applies to the high security hospitals around the country?’

  ‘Yes it does.’

  ‘Any word on the guards caught in the Broadmoor riot?’

  ‘Many had to leave the wing when the prison mutiny reached a peak. The National Tactical Response Group is highly skilled at handling riots and has entered the hospital in an attempt to restore order. This is still an ongoing operation due to a hostage negotiation taking place.’

  ‘Thank you Mike. That was Mike James, a spokesperson for the Prison, Correctional and Secure Psychiatric Workers Trade Union.’

  There was an advert for the live sport coverage on offer in November and then it was back to the programme.

  ‘You are listening to the Tuesday Evening News Stories with me Shell Baker. You can interact with me via social media on the hashtag TENS on twitter and via the usual text and phone numbers which I will repeat later in the programme. Now to discuss the rioting and the escape of two dangerous patients from Broadmoor is the Minister for Prisons, Alex Colbert.’

  Carl got up to clear the table while I listened to the rhetoric from a politician.

  ‘We will not tolerate violence in our prisons and those respons
ible for these riots will be brought to justice and will face the heavy hand of the law.’

  ‘Do we have any more news from inside the prison?’

  ‘Those who made it out have said at this stage the damage will run into the tens of thousands of pounds and when we have an idea of casualties we will inform the media through the appropriate channels.

  ‘Do we know exactly how many have escaped?’

  ‘We are working alongside the Strategic Investigation Unit to ascertain this information.’

  ‘But the breakout was more than four days ago?’

  ‘Yes we are aware of that and all relevant precautions have been put in place and I must once again stress that no member of the public should approach those men highlighted by the SIU as fugitives from Broadmoor. If they are spotted then immediately inform the police.

  ‘What do you know of further riots in other prisons?’

  ‘This was a well-planned and co-ordinated attack. We have sent other teams to address the rising tension in the two other prisons at Rampton and …….’

  I turned the television off and sat down on the sofa. There was a time when I could sit through all the waffle of politicians but not these days. Instead I rang Scott to prepare for the arrival back in this country of Blood’s ex-drama teacher. He had already set the wheels in motion with security at Heathrow Airport and we were to arrive there at 8 o’clock in the morning to ensure she was picked up by us and taken away to safety.

  I tried calling Jasper again but it went straight to voicemail. I left a message and wondered if he had been attacked by his old school friend Jez Cross.

  Carl joined me on the sofa and produced a tablet on which were photos of his family back in Jamaica. As he told me tales about each of them I could place a few names to the faces having met them all at his mother’s funeral ten days ago. He pointed to the shack where we would be living for two weeks once we flew out there and it sounded ideal. It was both a relaxing and happy trip down memory lane where I discovered more about Carl’s family and for just a brief second we took our minds away from the stress and tension of this dangerous investigation.