Chapters 15-16 of End Game

Chapter 15 Wheels in Motion

DS Steven Potter was working at his desk on so much paperwork, they must have cut down a whole forest to print it. Most of it was pointless. So many open cases, that would never be solved. He broke off to answer his ringing phone.  

He could hardly believe what he was hearing. He listened incredulously to what the caller was saying. He ended the call by promising to investigate and then hung up the phone. No way, the call he just got was a joke. It had to be, but he was worried too. The scenario just seemed so unlikely and yet....

He rubbed his tired eyes and took off his designer glasses. He was working all the hours God sent to keep Princess Kayla in the cushy lifestyle she was accustomed to. She spent his money like water, faster than he could earn it, going shopping and lunching with the ladies and they were getting on no better. This was his call, if he made the wrong one, he could easily get demoted.

He made his decision and picked up the phone to dial his superior officer’s number. He had decided to err on the side of caution.

Chapter 16 Heavy Duty

Later that night Darren sat in front of the TV, his second whiskey in hand. Dutch courage he told himself. The twins were out for the evening, so there was no one there to stop him. He could get as plastered as he liked except... except she was counting on him.  

He drained the whiskey glass and stood up. He reached for his jacket and brushed the fat envelope in his pocket. There wasn’t even a quarter of what they’d asked for in there, but he hoped he’d be able to promise to get the rest and they would be satisfied. Yeah right and the Pope would suddenly start advertising condoms.

Laurel was full of nervous energy. Something was happening tonight, she could feel it. There was an excited air about the place. Her guard had been as uncommunicative as ever when he’d brought her the remains of the pasta, they’d had for dinner. His eyes had been as hostile as ever in his masked face, but that didn’t matter, perhaps tonight it would all be over. For the first time in a long time she prayed. Please Darren, please don’t stuff this up.

Darren sat in his car in the park and took a deep breath. Watching as the digital clock ticked towards midnight. Slowly he got out and waited under the trees. The wind whistled eerily through the trees, an owl hooted loudly, causing him to jump nearly out of his skin. He was barely waiting 5 minutes when he heard footsteps and someone shone a torch right in his eyes. He shielded them automatically. The person holding the torch nodded once and someone grabbed him from behind. He started to struggle, but a voice spoke in his ear.

“If you ever want to see your wife again, I suggest you stay still”

Darren stiffened and immediately went still. The person holding him threw him to the ground. He then proceeded to blindfold him and for good measure kicked him in the ribs. Darren held in his pain as repeated blow after blow rained down on him. He curled into a ball to protect himself.

After a while the blows stopped and he was forced to his feet and made to walk. The sound of a car door opening and then someone pushed roughly on his head, so that he had no choice, but to duck. Minutes later the car moved off. As it did so the unmarked police car, waiting in the shadows began to follow, keeping a discreet distance. Lights off, sirens quiet.

Darren spent most of the journey reflecting on the situation. Is this the treatment Laurel had received when they took her or had it been worse for her? Where were they taking him? What would they do to him when they got there? Where were they keeping her? The same place, maybe. If so would he be allowed to see her? Would he want to? What would he feel if he was allowed?

He quashed the growing bubble of hope, rising in his chest with difficulty. If you allowed yourself to hope, you made mistakes.

The car stopped suddenly and he was bundled out. Walking clumsily, held up by two men, followed by several others. His muscles ached from the beating they had received, but he dare not complain or slacken his pace. Eventually after what seemed like hours, but was probably only minutes he was forced down onto his knees, where they preceded to thoroughly strip search him, searching he presumed for hidden wires. Finding none they took his briefcase and emptied out the money.

“This it?” The guy who seemed to be in charge asked. Darren nodded.

“I need more time to get the rest. I...” he was cut short by a sharp blow to his abdomen, which knocked the breath out of him. He rolled with the blow, ending up on his back. It seemed that the person who’d punched him was about to land another blow, but his companion held him back with a sharp look.

“Seems like we’ll have to talk to the boss about you and he’ll have to decide what to do about your wife. But as neither of you seem too interested in giving him the information he requires, don’t bank on the decision being favourable.

Without another word they left the room. Darren heard the sound of the key turning in the lock. He ran his fingers through his hair. That hadn’t gone at all well. In fact they couldn’t have gone much worse. Everything now depended on a gangster who apparently routinely went around kidnapping and hurting people being merciful. The odds didn’t look good.

Luke Timberlake stood staring out of his office window. What he could see at this time of night was anyone’s guess. He was quite ordinary to look at, no red tinted glasses that reflected his eyes blood red, no wheelchair, no cat sat on his lap. He was just an ordinary businessman as far as the taxman was concerned. Only his business was far murkier than most other people’s.

He sighed exasperatedly as there was a loud knocking on the door.

“Enter”

The door opened and two of his senior henchmen came in.

“He hasn’t got the money”

“Well he has, just not all of it”

“He’s asking for more time”

Luke smiled, enjoying how they talked over each other, clamouring to get their explanations in before he could even think of blaming them for the slight hitch in the plan. He put his fingers together and considered what he was being told.

Yes it was an inconvenience. But not a major one. He wanted someone to pay for the event that had changed his life forever, caused him to go off the rails, enter the English criminal system at an early age. So what if this person and his wife weren’t directly responsible, someone close to them was. He wanted to send a message to that person. Innocents sometimes got hurt. Collateral damage. He had taught himself patience in prison, patiently planned this out. a little more patience was all that was needed.

“Let him go. He can have his extra time”

Darren breathed a sigh of relief as he was let out into the open air. That was close. He really had believed they were both dead. He had even said a quick prayer. Nothing had really changed though. He might be free, but Laurel wasn’t. Somehow he had to get her released without any more harm coming to her. But how? He was out of ideas.