Richard Wiseman - To Kill Or Be Killed

“Do you know who was shot Joe?”

“Our reports say it was Marco Spencer.”

“That’s embarrassing one of our ex operatives.”

“Yes.”

“What about this Marina business?”

“It looks like a DIC operative has been murdered.”

“These men are leaving a lot of bodies behind.”

“Yes sir.”

“Still DIC look like they’re being put to the test and I can’t say that makes me unhappy.”

“No sir.”

“Okay I’ll see you first thing and you can brief me properly.”

In the bushes the cold and hungry DIC operative sighed heavily. It was teasingly close to Sternway showing knowledge, but vague enough for it to be a natural interest on Sternway’s part in terrorist activities in the UK.

Liverpool

Midnight

In Wally’s living room there was uncomfortable silence. Tony was in the loft sending and receiving transmissions. Down in the lounge Ginny, red eyed and exhausted was hugging a weeping and sobbing Tara. Jaz was outside in the garden smoking a cigarette with Ginny’s father, who had been called over for moral support. In the kitchen Shadz was making tea with Ginny’s mother.

“You look a bit fit to be a smoker if you don’t mind me saying so.”

Jaz gave him a weak smile and said “I gave up ages ago. It’s been a shock tonight.”

“I can imagine. I didn’t know he did this kind of work.”

“You’re not meant to.”

“Ginny knew he did this then?”

“Yes, but partners and spouses sign the act too, though they don’t know exactly who their partners are working for, it’s very secret.”

“Does your partner know what you do?”

“Yes she does.”

“Oh sorry.”

“No need to be unless you had plans.”

Ginny’s father flushed and stuttered. “I didn’t mean… you know.”

Jaz put her hand on his arm.

“It doesn’t matter.” She said quietly.

“He was a lovely fella. I can’t imagine him doing this kind of work. Who exactly are you people?”

“I can’t say.”

“Oh… will you get this bastard then?”

“Oh yes… we bloody well will I can tell you.”

“Tea up Jaz, Mr Mayhew.”

“Cheers. You’re a scouser Terry…”

Jaz went in. Tara’s sobbing had subsided. Tony was in the door way, he stood beside Jaz and Shadz joined them.

“We’re leaving Terry here on guard; he’s got family in the city.

Ginny’s mother had sat down beside them. Tony moved into a space in the room in front of them and steeled himself.

“Ginny. We have got to go. We’re going to get on the trail of this man, Cobb. Terry has offered to stay.”

Ginny had been through the anger with them, the shouting, the blaming them, blaming the people Wally worked for.

“Will you take that gun away please, the one in the cabinet in the loft?”

“Yes.”

“Id like Terry to stay, I don’t feel safe, even though I know he isn’t after us.”

“Okay.”

“Wally knew your boss well didn’t he?”

“Yes they worked a big case about twenty years ago. Jack will come up here personally I’m sure.”

“Will you kill this man?”

“We’ll try not to, though it looks like Cobb and the others that came in with him are death or glory types, especially after what’s happened at Perth. I’d rather he was put on trial, along with the people who hired him, that can only happen if we catch him alive.”

“What happened at Perth?”

“There was another shoot out, one dead assailant one dead police man and his dog.”

“It’s awful.”

“What Wally was doing was a part of all this. We have to stop these men before they do whatever it is that they think killing innocent people is worth the price of.”

With that they said their goodbyes. Tony took a last look at Ginny and Tara. He fixed in his mind the image of Wally’s corpse and their faces. It would determine him, harden him to the task. He carried them grief before him as a warning and a torch to light his way in what was becoming a very dark journey.

Perth Scotland

Midnight

“Right the one at the Marina is Cobb.”

“Right.”

“Spencer was the dead one on the track.”

“Right.”

“Wheeler was the one who escaped the hospital.”

“Right.”

“That leaves Mason to be the one on the train.”

“Right.”

“A booking was made in the name of Townshend weeks ago, but Spencer was in that sleeper.”

“Right.”

“Except Mason didn’t show up on the CCTV for Inverness and evidence from CCTV linked to a stolen white Alfa shows someone like Mason on the industrial estate where it was taken.”

“Right.”

“Which means there’s a fifth man.”

“Dewey missed one then.” Beaumont said finally.

David nodded.

“Let’s tap into the CCTV footage of Inverness. You know before we left London I was looking at Spencer on the screen and something bugged me about the man at the next cashier. It was the same thing that bugged me on the platform.”

They pulled up the CCTV footage.

“Trains, planes and automobiles.”

“What?”

“Well, one bike, one boat, one train, one flight which leaves walking.”

“Or hitching.”

“Right.” David ran the footage and froze it on Stanton. It was hard to see his face clearly, but for a second McKie caught a glimpse at one eye. He ran the footage on and there was a look of recognition from Spencer as the fifth man passed.

“Spencer knew this guy. They could have met on the train. We’ll arrange interviews with restaurant staff and have the girl at Inverness who served him interviewed too.”

McFarlane had been sat in silence quietly stroking his dog. Too old for the duty rota he spent time knowing his city and the people in it.

“Your man has probably gone down river. He’ll head for the motorway and hitch. If you pull up the map I’ll show you where it joins.”

“Good John. That’s a thought.”

“He’ll kill the driver of course.” Beaumont added gloomily.

“Why?”

“No witness.”

“That could mean he killed the driver who took him to Inverness. Jack said to check missing persons.”

McFarlane pulled up the map on the laptop. The M90 was clear as a scar on sunburn, threading south.

“Edinburgh or Glasgow?” He asked.

“No idea.” David was stumped.

“I like the idea of Glasgow.”

“Call Jack and have him send a duty team to Edinburgh, we’ll go Glasgow way tomorrow.”

“After we’ve talked to the police and some of the staff. If only we had an image of the fifth man.” Beaumont suddenly brightened. “Couldn’t you try and sketch the face you saw on the platform, the way Dewey did?”

“I can’t draw. I’d know him if I saw him.”

“I can draw. I was a graphic designer. I still do some freelance work. Get that Inverness image up and we’ll add any changes.” McFarlane left the room to get a sketch pad and a portable scanner.

“Okay. The man on the platform had a goatee beard for a start.”

Half an hour later they had the sketch of their fifth man, scanned it in and sent it to Jack at DIC centre. Jack told them they’d have to decrypt the MI6 site again, that could take until sunrise. Fulton agreed they should head for Glasgow. He also suggested that there might be more than five. He added to their knowledge by telling them of Sternway’s conversation, crackly as it was, and that it might implicate him in whatever plot was unfolding. He explained about the police being called to a burning Alfasud on an estate in Glasgow. Mason was probably there too and Wheeler could be holed up there. There was no doubt that Glasgow should be their next stop.