immediately.
'Roger, that.'
'Phil acknowledge.'
Phil was just as quick with his response.
'Roger, that.'
The Jaguar slid to a standstill at the kerbside just
past the building as Danny and Lee sank lower into
their seats.
Lee was impressed. 'Well done, mate. I'll give you
that reference.'
Danny didn't even have time to nod his thanks.
'That's the vehicle static outside the building. Wait . . . wait
. . . engine still on, lights on . . . wait . . .'
For a couple of minutes the Jaguar driver kept the
engine running.
'No change . . . wait . . .'
Then two doors opened, one front and one rear.
'Stand by, stand by. That's two possible x-rays out of the car.
One fat, one just massive. Both black leather on jeans. No
sign of x-ray one. Both foxtrot towards apartment building.
Engine and lights still on.'
Danny swore silently. He knew that his grandfather
needed Siddie Richards himself in the
apartment. But he also knew that Fergus wouldn't
panic. Fergus never panicked. He improvised.
Danny went back on the net.
That's two possibles complete in apartment building. What
we doing?'
A moment later Fergus's orders came through:
'Phil, move in closer to Jag. Lee and Danny, stay where you
are. Listen in for more instructions once I find out what's happening.
That's me foxtrot to service entrance at back of
building.'
10
Teddy Headingham hardly knew what hit him. One
minute he was enjoying the light supper of
scrambled eggs and smoked salmon he had prepared
for himself; the next he heard a thunderous
crashing from the hallway as the locked front door
of the apartment crashed open and then two of the
most terrifying men he had ever seen came hurtling
towards him.
There was no time to move, grab his mobile,
shout, or even use the knife and fork in his hands as
some sort of defence against the attack. He just sat,
frozen, as the first man pulled back his right arm
and smashed him in his handsome face, sending
him crashing back off the chair and onto the
carpeted floor.
Blood spurted from Teddy's busted nose as his
uninvited guest straddled his chest and pinned him
painfully to the carpet, stopping him from moving.
Teddy wasn't thinking about moving anyway; he
looked up as Mr Muscles glared into his eyes and
breathed on him with foul-smelling tobacco– and
booze-tainted breath.
'Don't move, don't shout, don't say a single
fucking word till I tell you! You got that?'
Teddy just managed to give a terrified nod as he
fought to stop himself choking on the blood that
was oozing from his split lips into his throat.
The sheer weight of Mr Muscles' bulk was more
than enough to make certain his victim didn't move
an inch. But just to make sure he had his victim's
total co-operation, Mr Muscles opened one of his
huge fists and slapped Teddy so hard it made
his head spin and his eyes water.
Teddy gasped, but he didn't cry out.
Mr Muscles returned the blood that had
splashed onto the sleeve of his leather jacket by
wiping it clean on Teddy's shirt. He smiled. 'Good
boy. Well done. I'm glad we understand each
other.'
In a wall socket in a corner of the room, a double
plug adaptor that Fergus had installed in the twins'
apartment on an earlier visit was picking up every
detail of Teddy's torment. Inside it was a minute
bug – a microphone and transmitter that had
constant power when it was plugged in.
Outside, in the Mondeo, Danny winced as they
heard Teddy take the blows.
Lee saw Danny grimace. 'Part of the job, mate –
don't let it get to you. Just focus on what we have to
do.'
Phil had parked his Vauxhall closer to the
apartment and Siddie Richards's Jaguar, ready to go
into action the minute he got the order. He nodded
as he heard Teddy get another friendly slap; things
were getting interesting at last.
Fergus was approaching the service entrance.
That afternoon he'd taped back the lock on the
door at the rear of the building. As he listened to the
one-sided encounter through his earpiece, he hoped
that Siddie's heavies
'Roger, that.'
'Phil acknowledge.'
Phil was just as quick with his response.
'Roger, that.'
The Jaguar slid to a standstill at the kerbside just
past the building as Danny and Lee sank lower into
their seats.
Lee was impressed. 'Well done, mate. I'll give you
that reference.'
Danny didn't even have time to nod his thanks.
'That's the vehicle static outside the building. Wait . . . wait
. . . engine still on, lights on . . . wait . . .'
For a couple of minutes the Jaguar driver kept the
engine running.
'No change . . . wait . . .'
Then two doors opened, one front and one rear.
'Stand by, stand by. That's two possible x-rays out of the car.
One fat, one just massive. Both black leather on jeans. No
sign of x-ray one. Both foxtrot towards apartment building.
Engine and lights still on.'
Danny swore silently. He knew that his grandfather
needed Siddie Richards himself in the
apartment. But he also knew that Fergus wouldn't
panic. Fergus never panicked. He improvised.
Danny went back on the net.
That's two possibles complete in apartment building. What
we doing?'
A moment later Fergus's orders came through:
'Phil, move in closer to Jag. Lee and Danny, stay where you
are. Listen in for more instructions once I find out what's happening.
That's me foxtrot to service entrance at back of
building.'
10
Teddy Headingham hardly knew what hit him. One
minute he was enjoying the light supper of
scrambled eggs and smoked salmon he had prepared
for himself; the next he heard a thunderous
crashing from the hallway as the locked front door
of the apartment crashed open and then two of the
most terrifying men he had ever seen came hurtling
towards him.
There was no time to move, grab his mobile,
shout, or even use the knife and fork in his hands as
some sort of defence against the attack. He just sat,
frozen, as the first man pulled back his right arm
and smashed him in his handsome face, sending
him crashing back off the chair and onto the
carpeted floor.
Blood spurted from Teddy's busted nose as his
uninvited guest straddled his chest and pinned him
painfully to the carpet, stopping him from moving.
Teddy wasn't thinking about moving anyway; he
looked up as Mr Muscles glared into his eyes and
breathed on him with foul-smelling tobacco– and
booze-tainted breath.
'Don't move, don't shout, don't say a single
fucking word till I tell you! You got that?'
Teddy just managed to give a terrified nod as he
fought to stop himself choking on the blood that
was oozing from his split lips into his throat.
The sheer weight of Mr Muscles' bulk was more
than enough to make certain his victim didn't move
an inch. But just to make sure he had his victim's
total co-operation, Mr Muscles opened one of his
huge fists and slapped Teddy so hard it made
his head spin and his eyes water.
Teddy gasped, but he didn't cry out.
Mr Muscles returned the blood that had
splashed onto the sleeve of his leather jacket by
wiping it clean on Teddy's shirt. He smiled. 'Good
boy. Well done. I'm glad we understand each
other.'
In a wall socket in a corner of the room, a double
plug adaptor that Fergus had installed in the twins'
apartment on an earlier visit was picking up every
detail of Teddy's torment. Inside it was a minute
bug – a microphone and transmitter that had
constant power when it was plugged in.
Outside, in the Mondeo, Danny winced as they
heard Teddy take the blows.
Lee saw Danny grimace. 'Part of the job, mate –
don't let it get to you. Just focus on what we have to
do.'
Phil had parked his Vauxhall closer to the
apartment and Siddie Richards's Jaguar, ready to go
into action the minute he got the order. He nodded
as he heard Teddy get another friendly slap; things
were getting interesting at last.
Fergus was approaching the service entrance.
That afternoon he'd taped back the lock on the
door at the rear of the building. As he listened to the
one-sided encounter through his earpiece, he hoped
that Siddie's heavies
Similar Books
