Criminally Insane (31 page)

Nate Bradley stepped into the backyard of the restaurant and headed for the rear door. An empty gas canister that had once held CO2 held it open. The back corridor was deserted and the door leading to the public area was still open. The red fire extinguisher, put there minutes before by the lobby hostess, held it ajar. Nate zipped up his black cagoule and pulled the hood over his head. At the end of the corridor he turned right and pushed open the door to the gents’ toilets. The single stall was unoccupied and the door was wide open. No one was at the urinals either. Nate looked through the reinforced fire glass into the restaurant’s dining area, and he could see Dean Hines still rowing with Leon. The third gangster was standing at the back of the queue, waiting for a crewmember to serve him. There were six people in front of him, and it looked like he would be waiting a while before it was his turn. He tapped on the disabled toilet door with his left hand. “Fuck off, someone’s in here!” he heard.

Nate took a fifty-pence coin from his pocket and slid into the centre of the handle. The design was like a huge screw head so that employees could open the lock from the outside in the case of an emergency. The coin was the perfect thickness and he twisted it easily between his finger and thumb. “Oh!” came a startled shout from inside. “Fuck off, Gar, is that you?”

He slid the door open, stepped inside and shut the door behind him in a matter of seconds. He pointed the Walther at Monkey. “You wanker, Gar, is that you messing about? I’m having a shit!” Monkey’s smile faded when he realised that the man with the hood and gun was white. He dropped the newspaper and held his hands above his head. He wanted to shout for help, but fear constricted his throat. Nate pulled the trigger three times, tap, tap, tap. Two rounds into his chest and one to the forehead. The 22 calibre bullets were perfect for a close range execution because they weren’t powerful enough to exit the body. They bounced about inside his chest, ripping and tearing the vital organs to shreds. The head shot rattled around inside his skull like a marble inside a jam jar, liquidising the brain matter on its way. Monkey slumped sideways and fell onto the toilet floor twitching. There was one less enemy to cope with at the drug deal.

The front doors were systematically bashed open by the firefighters, and the Armed Response Unit were ready to clear the first building. “The helicopter’s here, guv!” Smithy shouted as the sound of helicopter rotor blades neared.

“Good, I just hope it’s not too late,” Alec said, looking up. “I want those people moved back from the end of the street.” As he spoke, two more armed response units screeched to a halt. Uniformed officers lifted the orange tapes, allowing the vehicles to drive into Shankly Way. He called one of the firemen over to him. “Listen, if Howarth has built a rat run through the houses, then he may be heading for the end of the terrace. Start at the end house and let the ARU clear the buildings from that end. We’ll work this way toward them.”

The ARU officers acknowledged the orders and sprinted after the firefighters. “Smithy,” Alec said, “I want you to coordinate everything from up here. I need to see what’s going on down there.”

“Guv,” Smithy said sullenly. He wanted the chance to catch Jack Howarth. Just a minute alone with the animal would do. “The bomb squad are on their way.”

Alec walked toward the police cordon at the end of the street and watched as the firemen smashed open the door. Eight armed officers waited impatiently to enter. “Split up,” Alec ordered. “One unit in this one and the other unit next door.”

“Armed police!” they bellowed as they disappeared into the end terrace. “Kitchen clear!”

“Ground floor clear!”

“First floor clear!”

Alec could hear similar shouts coming from further down the street. He walked down the hallway, which mirrored the others they had seen already. The officers opened the basement door and filed down the stairs in formation. “Armed police!” Alec followed them and used the Maglight to guide him in the darkness. Moss covered the wooden stairs and water ran down the exposed walls. A strong musty odour pervaded the basement. “Armed police!” echoed off the bricks. Alec reached the bottom of the stairs and shined the torch around. “It’s clear, guv, and there’s no way in or out of here.”

“Are you sure?” Alec blinked as torchlight shone in his eyes. “Yes, the walls are all intact, and there is no access to the drains down here.”

“Okay, let’s check out the house next door but one.” He had one last look around. “We can alternate with the other team.”

“Guv.” The armed officers took off up the stairs. Their heavy boots left deep tread marks in the moss.

“No one has been in here for years,” Alec muttered to himself. “Where were you going when you scurried through the walls, you bastard?” Alec thought about the injuries to Kisha’s face, and his stomach twisted. He stepped into the hallway and shined the beam at the ceiling. Fungus grew along the Victorian architrave. Alec illuminated the wide staircase which led up to the bedrooms. Dust swirled in the torch beam. “Where are you, Jack? You are so close, I can smell you.” Silence answered his question. He turned on his heels and followed the ARU out of the house and along the street. The helicopter whirled above them, and the bomb squad pulled their transporter outside number forty-four. There were muffled shouts coming from inside the terraced houses, but Alec heard something else. The pitch was too high for it to be coming from an adult. “Wait!” he called. He turned his head to pinpoint where the sound was coming from. Alec ran back into the house they had just left. He mounted the stone steps at speed and stopped when he reached the bottom of the wooden stairs. Heavy footsteps resounded as officers followed him into the building. “What is it, guv?”

“Shush a minute!” Alec listened intently. He shined the Maglight up the stairs, and the dust swirls were thicker this time. A dull thud came from the floor above somewhere. A shrill scream followed it. “Upstairs!” It took all his willpower not to bolt up the staircase first. He stepped aside and allowed the ARU to lead the way. “Armed police!” Their cries seemed to resonate from the damp walls. Alec followed them to the top of the stairs and waited until they emerged from the bedrooms. Torch beams cut through the darkness casting long shadows. “It’s clear, guv.”

Another thud came from above them, and this time the screams that followed did not subside. “It’s coming from the attic.” Alec looked for an access hatch in the ceiling.

“It’s in the bathroom, guv.”

“Get me a ladder in here!” Alec shouted down the stairs. “Tell Smithy to send the other armed units into the attic spaces.” He walked into the bathroom. Two armed officers formed a step with their hands joined between them. Their colleague placed his foot on it and they lifted him toward the hatch. He moved the wooden lid over to one side and grabbed the rafters inside. When the lid moved, the screaming from the attic became unbearably loud. “Wait for the ladder,” Alec ordered. The officer couldn’t hold his torch and pull himself up at the same time. He holstered his gun and reached up.

“Let me use your shoulders,” the officer said. “If I use your shoulders to stand on, I can climb in. I’m sorry, but I can’t listen to that, guv.”

Alec leaned out of the bathroom and looked down the stairs. “Where is that ladder?” he shouted.

“Coming, guv!” A voice answered.

Alec wanted the screaming stopped just as much as they did. He turned to stop the officer, but his head and shoulders were already through the hatch, and his colleagues were pushing him up. There was a loud creaking noise from above, which reminded Alec of a tree trunk bending in the wind. A creaking groan joined a whooshing noise. It sounded like a whip before it cracks. “What’s that?” Alec took a deep breath. The officer’s torch fell from his hand and clattered onto the rotten floorboards. His body went limp and his knees buckled. He released his grip on the rafters suddenly and without warning. “Mike?” One of the officers shouted. “What’s wrong Mike?”

His body seemed to fold onto itself like a piece of string dropped vertically onto the floor. The officers grabbed at his legs in an effort to keep him upright. Blood sprayed onto their faces in a torrent. It poured into their eyes and sprayed into their open mouths as they tried to comprehend what was happening. One of them let go of the body in panic. He spat the foreign blood from his mouth and stepped back. He tripped over a raised floorboard and fell onto his rump with a thud. His colleague cried out in pain as an object hit him square in the face. It was heavy and soggy. It bounced off his face and landed on the floor at Alec’s feet. The body crashed down on top of the sprawling policemen, and they kicked it away as if it was chasing them. They pushed themselves back against the wall and pointed their weapons at the hatch above. Nothing came through it except the sound of the boy crying uncontrollably. Alec shined his torch onto the object at his feet and stared at the severed head in disbelief.

“I cannot believe that you’ve made me leave my kids in intensive care when you could have grabbed the cash yourself, Leon.” Dean sat down opposite his boss. “The cash is in my car, take it, buy your drugs and then shove them up your fat arse!”

His boss looked angry, but Dean was beyond caring. Leon felt in his pocket for his tin. He expertly opened the lid and pinched some of the powder between his fingers. He snorted it and tilted his head back. “Keep your voice down, Deano.” Leon glanced around at the other diners. Their raised voices were attracting attention.

“I won’t keep my voice down.” Dean leaned over the table and glared at Leon. “Listen to me and listen well. I am out.”

Gareth approached the booth with a brown plastic tray in his hands. “What’s up?” he asked, oblivious to why they were arguing. He put the tray down and Leon reached for the Big Mac. Dean swiped at the box with the back of his hand and the messy sandwich exploded from the cardboard. A meat patty covered in sauce slapped a postal worker in the face and then settled on his shoulder. He brushed it off and turned angrily, but when he saw the three huge black men glaring at each other, he decided to say nothing. He picked up his tray of food and moved to another table.

“Fuck off, Gareth,” Dean said without taking his eyes from his boss, “this is between me and Leon.”

“What’s your problem?” Gareth looked offended.

“This fat fuck is my problem.” Dean stabbed a finger toward Leon. “Now do yourself a favour and fuck off!”

Gareth looked at Leon for instructions. “Go and find Monkey.” Leon sat back and smiled. “I wasn’t hungry anyway.” He shrugged his huge shoulders. “I can see you’re stressed out, Deano. Go and be with your kids. Call me and let me know how they are. I’ll send Gar to get the money from your car. We’ll have to get off now, anyway. Remember, we’re going to hit the jackpot today. Don’t throw it all away.”

“I don’t think you heard me, Leon.” Dean was shaking with anger. “I left my missus in bits at the hospital because you said nobody else could get the cash. My kids are lying there with tubes coming out of every fucking orifice while you stuff your fat face with Laurel and Hardy. I am out, Leon. Finished, understand?”

“Don’t push it, Deano,” Leon warned. He kept his voice low. “I’ve always looked after you. I know you’re pissed off. I don’t want Jinx to know that I’m back in town, that’s why I asked you to go and get the cash. He has put a hit out on us.”

“Fucking hell! That’s all I need right now.” Dean laughed sourly. “I told you not to fuck about with Jinx. And what do you mean he put a hit on
us
?”

“I heard that he put a hit on me, you and Jackson.” Leon leaned forward and whispered. “Jackson has disappeared, so I think he’s toast. I did a bit of digging and came up with the name of a mercenary who has links to a couple of Jinx’s associates.”

“How did Jinx find out that you wanted him whacked?”

“I put some feelers out to see who would back us up when it we took him down and it all kicked off.” Leon shrugged. “Someone must have blabbed.”

“I warned you,” Dean sighed. “Jackson is toast, are you sure?”

“Pretty much,” Leon nodded. “Look, I paid this mercenary off, and he guaranteed me that he would take out the hitman. As far as I know, we’re in the clear for now.”

“Brilliant,” Dean laughed. “Fucking brilliant, I am so out of this shit.”

“Do you think Jinx is going to let you walk away?”

“Fuck Jinx, and fuck you, too. I am gone.” Dean stood up and looked toward his car. “Send one of the retards out for the money. I’m going back to the hospital.”

“Leon!” Gareth shouted from the toilet corridor. “Leon, get here now!” He panicked.

“Alright, alright!” Leon frowned at Dean and they walked toward the toilets. “What’s the panic?”

Gareth slid open the disabled toilet, and they saw Monkey lying in a pool of blood next to the toilet with his pants around his ankles. “Yes, I see what you mean, Leon,” Dean shook his head. “I think we’re in the clear, too.”

“What’s going on?” The dining area hostess walked by. She peered into the toilet and then screamed. She ran through the door and headed for the counter in a panic. Concerned onlookers walked toward the three men.

“Let’s get out of here now,” Leon growled. “Call the police and an ambulance,” he said to the nearest bystander to detract attention from them. Dean put his head down and headed for the door. Leon and Gareth followed closely behind him. “Whoever shot Monkey can’t be far away,” Leon muttered as they exited the restaurant. A stream of other customers filed out. They didn’t want to be around when the police arrived asking for statements.

The car park was busy, as was the drive thru lane. It was impossible to identify the assassin. “Come and get the money, Leon, before I fuck off with it.” Dean ran to his car.

Leon waddled behind him like a huge black duck. By the time he reached the car, he was sweating and breathless. “You can’t do one now, Deano,” Leon looked around the car park nervously. “You could be next. Look how easily they hit Monkey right under our noses.”

“They shot him under your nose, Leon. Bollocks to it.” Dean opened the boot and thrust the holdall into Leon’s chest, who grabbed it, his top lip curling up into a snarl. “I’ll take my chances alone, Leon.”

“You are making a big mistake.” Leon walked away. “Nobody walks away from me.”

“Watch me, Leon.” Dean looked at him in the eye. “You’ve got enough problems without me on your case as well. Just leave it.” Dean opened the door and ducked inside. He started the engine, and the wheels spinned as he accelerated across the tarmac to the main road. He indicated right and drove in the direction he had come from. Leon raised his middle finger as a final salute, and then stormed off to his Lexus. “He’ll be back with his tail between his legs when he is skint. Just you see if he isn’t,” he grumbled. As he did so, he waved to Gareth. “Get in. We need to get out of here.”

Nate Bradley collected a cheeseburger from the drive thru window, keeping his eye on Leon. There was a commotion going on in the dining area, and he assumed that they had discovered the dead gangster. He followed the Lexus from the car park as it pulled onto the ring road. It headed toward the docks, which were less than five miles away. Jinx Cotton saw Dean heading back toward the hospital, and he waited for Leon to get into his car before pulling into the traffic. The Lexus cut across three lanes erratically and then turned right at a set of traffic lights. He floored the Mercedes to keep Leon in sight and then changed his mind as the lights changed. He pulled a sharp u-turn, taking the Mercedes in the opposite direction to follow Dean Hines.