Forever Scarred (21 page)

“I haven’t been called that in a while. Patrick will do. We don’t stand on ceremony anymore. Ellen and Rose are just fine. You’ll have to make a trip and come to see them.”

James nodded and
then dodged quickly as David suddenly swerved round Patrick and caught James around the waist, they laughed as they grappled, trying to bring each other down but David stopped when his heel caught James’s shin. He grinned as the solid thunk of leather on metal echoed around the arrivals lounge.

David looked down
with a knowing smile.

“
I thought you looked a bit too steady on your feet. So you did opt for amputation in the end. Big decision buddy. You didn’t tell me you had had it done. Are you okay with it all?”

James gave a rueful smile.

“Didn’t have a choice in the end Dave. I hung it out until last year but it was a nightmare. Agony if I’m completely honest. The pins hadn’t got anything to pin into by the last op. I should have had this done in the first place. Would have saved a lot of time, money and shed loads of pain. I sometimes get the odd feeling that my legs are still there, but I’m working through that. I’ve been able to go back to work so I’m really happy. And I didn’t tell you because I wanted it to be a surprise. I wanted to see the look on your face when you realized that I wasn’t hobbling about on that awful pair of crutches anymore.” His face took on a more serious demeanour. “Ellen said Joe was in trouble. The others are outside. What can we do to help?”

David rolled his eyes.

“Let’s get to the pub first. We can fill you in there. We need some equipment though. You’re barely allowed to bring a tube of toothpaste through the airport security these days.”

James nodded.

“Nightmare ain’t it. Well Gemma is the only one with access to that sort of shit nowadays. I’m not even officially serving anymore and us office wallahs don’t get access to much more than a ball point pen.”

Joe came forwards.

“I’m actually hoping that the pen will be mightier than the sword in this affair, well the computer keyboard to be exact, but it amounts to the same thing. I just need you lot to look threatening if the need arises, and I mean really threatening. I need to teach some piece of shit a lesson that he’ll never forget.”

James looked positively thrilled.

“Excellent! Kicking butt used to be my speciality! Point the way my friend, your troops are behind you.” And he steered the way to the waiting Land Rover.

Gemma sat behind the
steering wheel. She leaned over, grabbed Joe around the neck and pulled him in for a huge kiss.

“Hello handsome! And who might I ask donated that gorgeous looking nose?” She took hold of it in her m
etal fingers and gave it a gentle wiggle.

Joe grinned down at her.

“It’s a piece of bone from my own rib covered with skin from my arse if you must know. Hurt like hell to get it done and I’m not sure it’s quite the right shape now but I can’t be asked to go through it all again so it’ll have to do.” He glanced up into the rear view mirror and turned both right and left to see his profile. He was getting used to it at last and now that it had a more natural colour it didn’t look too bad at all.

There were giant guffaws of laughter from the back of the vehicle
as he preened in front of the mirror and he acknowledged Paul and Adam with a small bow.

Paul was wearing some odd wrap around
sunglasses and his head movements were slightly awkward as David and Patrick climbed into the back of the car. Paul explained his robotic eyes and glasses.

“
Hey, you’re looking good Dave. And nice to see you again too Patrick.” He acknowledged Patrick’s curious stare. “My new eyes are reasonably good during day-light and the technology’s fantastic as I would be completely blind without them, but they don’t work as well in the dark so I need the glasses at night. They pick up movement and heat, bit like night vision goggles, the signal is sent through to my brain and I can sort of see. It’s not perfect but it’s better than nothing…So how’s it all going with everyone? What’s the emergency?”

Gemma pulled away from the
kerb and David sat back in his seat as he answered for the three of them.

“Well everything would be perfect if our love sick grounds man hadn’t fallen for a beaut
iful young woman who actually appears to love him back. That would have been fine but when she told him that she’s being blackmailed by a complete slime he told her that he thinks she is a liar and a fraud. And to top it all we have only just discovered, because of Joe’s lack of appropriate action, that she is just about to land in the arms of the said blackmailer, possibly as we speak. I think that just about covers it.”

Joe took in a deep breath and could be heard grinding his teeth together.

Adam began laughing.

“
Whoo! Dangerous and very stupid thing to do man. Slighted, scared women are like wounded tigers. If the situation has got that bad then she’s as likely to claw your face off as rush into your arms gratefully, though of course the clawing your face off bit doesn’t really count for you, but I have to say it Joe, you’re braver than I thought calling her a liar.”

Gemma waggled her metal finger at
an embarrassed Joe.

“So
let me get this straight. You fall in love with someone who apparently loves you back and then when she asks for your help because she is in a dire situation you go and insult her badly enough that she walks out on you straight into the arms of the person attacking her. Are you a crazy man or do you just have a death wish or something? Are you even surprised that she’s left you?”

Joe pursed his lips and spoke into his shirt.

“The something quite obviously and no I’m not surprised. But whatever this lot say,” he jerked his thumb over his shoulder, “it’s not quite as simple as that. There’s a lot more to the story and we need some help. We need to change this blackmailer guy’s whole attitude to the way he works. If he’s doing what he’s done to Lucy so easily, then he must be doing it to others as well. We thought we had made a start clearing his fogged up brain at the chateau when he came for a course but some people are obviously harder to make see reason than others.” And he began to tell the whole story.

By the time they had reached the Cat and Fiddle the whole thing was out in the open.

Adam rolled his chair through the pub doors first. Donna the landlady was waiting for them with pots of fresh coffee and plates of food.

Adam took a big slug of the coffee.

“Look guys, I don’t think I’m going to be much help on the ground. No one ever takes a guy in a chair as a serious threat
and I would only hold you up if you need to move out quickly. It might be better if I liaise with Alex on the computer stuff. He’s still in active service and can’t do anything from the office that might be traceable. You’re going to have to be careful too Gemma but the rest of us probably don’t give a shit what happens.”

David looked at Gemma.

“I agree with Adam and having him working with Alex can only help anyway.”

Patrick nodded.

“He’s on his way. Should be here in about half an hour. He’s bringing his own personal set up so nothing will be traceable on any military machines. We’ll let you and Alex sort out the best way to get into the company accounts and the like. Gemma, how do you feel about being seen by this guy?”

Gemma shrugged.

“Not bothered. We have the perfect alibi anyway.” She nodded towards the bar where Donna was now polishing glasses. “Apparently we have been here all the time after an impromptu party to celebrate the birth of your daughter Patrick. None of us will have left the pub for two days solid so we only have to make sure that no one else sees us. But that’s not the only reason that I don’t care much what happens. I am only due on post until the day after tomorrow. I’m getting out. I officially won’t have anything to go back to after that.”

There were general murmurs of surprise and David was the first to congratulate her.

“That’s great! I would have thought you were in for life. What changed your mind?”

Gemma gave a shrug.

“Time’s passing me by. I’ve done ten years and I want to do different things with my life now. I wouldn’t mind getting out with a clean record though so if we can sort this shit out without getting arrested I would be happier.”

Joe looked around at them all.

“I don’t think this guy will take any notice of the normal kind of threat. We need to scare the crap out of him or be really devious. We need to hit him where it hurts most and that’s going to be in his pocket. The only trouble is that he holds the accounts of thousands of desperate people. We can’t wipe out their debt with a stroke of the computer as Freeman would be able to take that to the courts and just reinstate it all. We need to be clever and adjust some contracts and stuff so people are paying a rate they can afford that is fair and reasonable. Alex will probably know more about that side of things. However if we can convince him that we mean business by accessing his personal accounts then I don’t see anything wrong with that. He’s made millions out of shady deals. He’s nothing more than a legal loan shark and I for one would love to see him squirming.”

The pub door opened and Patrick and Joe’s friend Alex walked in. He had several bags under his arms.

“Computer cavalry has arrived!” He announced and struggled over to the rest of the team. There were the usual few minutes of back slapping and ribald remarks and then they all got back down to business.

They all help
ed take the computer equipment to a ground floor room that Donna had put by for their use. Alex immediately began firing up his laptop. He took out another keyboard and wired them all together. He gave a tablet to Joe and showed him how to use the screen. Joe was relieved to discover that he wouldn’t actually have to do anything manually. That would all be being managed by Adam and Alex from the pub. Alex looked up at Joe.

“Right, now I need everything you have on your girlfriend. Anything will help right down the where she shops or the name of her hairdresser. And then I need everything you have on this Freeman guy
too. The business stuff is easy, that’s all there for everyone to find. It’s the personal stuff I want. That’s where he’ll take notice of anything that happens when it all suddenly starts crumbling in front of his eyes.”

Joe immediately jumped in.

“Lucy doesn’t do anything except pay this creeps bills. She doesn’t have any money left at the end of the month to do anything else with. She has a Tesco card and that’s about it as far as I can see. She not the materialistic type. But Freeman, well he wears a new model Rolex so he must have an account with them and he uses an IPhone. We can get the number from the details in the chateau office system.”

Patrick
nodded.

“You should be able to access our computers from here if I give you the codes.”
He rattled off some numbers.

David thought for a moment and then added something he had heard from Geraldine.

“Freeman’s clothes were handmade or designer stuff so I bet he had accounts with the top brands. His suits came from Savile Row. She saw them when she re hung his laundered clothes in the wardrobe. And he collects Air Miles. She noticed his American Express card in his wallet when it was drying out on the dressing table after that dunking.”

Adam
nodded and started typing as James rummaged through Alex’s bag for some phone earpieces.

Joe watched Adam as Lucy’s personal finances came up on screen. He had a moment of feeling like an intruder and had to mention it to the rest of the gang.

“Look fellas, and Gemma. All this stuff is very personal to Lucy. I don’t want her finding out that we’ve all rummaged through her private stuff.”

Adam nodded.

“I’m only accessing it to find a way to Freeman. Don’t worry, she won’t know a thing and we are all sworn to secrecy on pain of Chinese burn.” He crossed his fingers swiftly over his heart.

Patrick nodded
as the others made the same sign.

“Agreed.
I’m hoping that we don’t even have to mention anything in front of her. I have a bit of an idea that just might work with Freeman that could avoid any confrontation with Lucy at all.”

They all looked up at him and David put his hands on his hips and spoke for the group.

“So come on then. What’s this brilliant idea?”

Patrick grinned back at them all.

“I wonder if our wonderful landlady fancies going on a shopping trip first thing in the morning. I’ll write her a list and then I just need to run something past Paul before I say anymore. Adam and Alex, you keep on it with Freeman. Get all of his personal accounts right down to the guy who makes his underwear. We’re going to need them all to make this work. Paul, come with me a moment. I need to talk to you.” And Patrick and Paul disappeared out of the door.