Richard Wiseman - To Kill Or Be Killed

His MP5 clip was empty and he had one magazine left in his pocket. He was running and close to being out of time.

When he got to Park Lane Cobb ran across not looking and was lucky in that cars were too far away to hit him. He was across into Hyde Park and disappointed to find himself running across open ground along a long diagonal path, one of many criss-crossing that area. He saw that he was heading for the corner of the serpentine and Hyde Park Corner.

With a flat path beneath him and a steady pace, he unclipped the spent magazine and loaded the last one in. As it was open ground he knew that if he stopped rolled and turned he could open up on his pursuers.

Not daring to fully look behind in case he tripped he slowed, dived onto the grass, did a rolling turn and faced back up the path. There was no-one there. Cobb jumped up and looked around full circle. A jogger and a dog walker caught his eye briefly, but otherwise his pursuers were gone.

Watching Cobb crossing Park Lane Tony stopped Ellie following, got out his phone and breathlessly called in. DIC centre called for police helicopter surveillance and the nearest was a minute away. The instructions to the helicopter were to observe from as high up as possible.

“What now, you just going to let them take over?” Ellie was panting and angry.

“No, he won’t get away, we can shadow him from the line of trees along Park Lane, anyway, you’d have got shot on open ground and he’ll be heading for Hyde Park Corner tube stop I’ll bet.”

Ellie smiled. “Clever man, come on let’s go.

They sprinted for all they were worth, looking right as they ran, catching glimpses of Cobb in silhouette the shadowy gun giving him away. Cobb took the first diagonal to Speaker’s Corner and as he did so began thinking of how to get on the tube with a sub machine gun. He knew he’d have to wrap it in his coat and carry it. As he got to the exit he slowed and took off his coat wrapping the weapon. The helicopter was just arriving and couldn’t see him. Armed response teams were at every exit of the park and teams were entering, all looking for an armed man.

Tony and Ellie had got to the Hyde Park Corner exit and stood either side of it. An armed response team screeched to halt as Cobb emerged. As the policemen got out of the car, Cobb desperately unwrapped the MP5 from his coat bundle, but Ellie and Tony fired.

The first shot from Ellie hit Cobb in the heart, then Tony’s shot hit him in the same place and then their next two each grouped around the centre of his chest. Cobb pitched forward dropping the coat and Tony and Ellie moved in weapons to the fore.

Cobb was spitting blood and rasping, eyes wild as he drowned in his own blood, which filled his punctured lungs. Blood leaked from his wounds staining the dusty ground. Tony and Ellie knelt down next to him holstering their weapons. Behind them armed police alerted to their presence joined the death scene.

Tony looked into the fear wide eyes. “You’re going to die now Cobb and then you’re going to fry in hell for the people you killed you murdering son of a bitch.”

“We’d better call an ambulance!” An armed office had squatted down by Tony and added, “That’s a callous thing to say to a dying man mate.”

“You know the guy who shot those cops at Gatwick, murdered those guys in Liverpool?”

“This him?”

“Yeah and that’s a police MP5 over there right?” Tony asked. “You call an ambulance when this bastard stops breathing right?”

The officer peered in at Cobb and the man’s smiling face was the last thing Cobb saw and Tony’s ‘So long Cobb’ was the last thing he heard.

Ellie and Tony stood up. “Three down two to go, wanna get a beer Ellie.”

Ellie shook her head.

“Anger’s like passion, you get all lusty with it and when you’re done you feel tired and worn out. I wanted to kill him, but now we have I feel sick.”

“First time you’ve killed someone?”

“You mean that isn’t the first time you have?”

“No. I was a New York cop.”

“I thought you were a bit unfeeling. Has killing and seeing the dead dulled your senses?”

“Yeah I guess it has.” Tony said the lust of the chase leaving him as he spoke.

“Wally said once that he’d killed and didn’t carry a gun because he didn’t want to do it again in case it rotted his soul.”

“You think my soul’s rotted?” Tony asked incredulous.

“No Tony, you’re still good, but I think your halo’s rusty and your wings are tattered. Better watch it or you’ll go the same way.” She pointed at Cobb. “He didn’t start life as a monster, military service and too much killing made him that. Just watch you don’t go the same way.”

“I think I’ll have a Bourbon with that beer.” Tony said frowning.

“I think I’ll join you now, but mine’s a G and T.”

“Let’s find a bar.”

“It’s eight in the morning I think a supermarket would be the best bet for a stiff drink.”

“Drinking out of a brown bag in a car?” Tony exclaimed.

“Yeah, bad idea.”

“Let’s get back to the car and go back to work.”

“You don’t want that drink then?”

“Maybe later yeah?” Tony smiled and raised his eye brows.

“You’re on mate!” Ellie grabbed his arm and led him away, he didn’t protest at the contact.

The ambulance and news arrived. Police cordoned the area and to get out of the cordon Ellie and Tony flashed their DIC badges with diplomatic immunity. They’d have to explain the killing and account for the rounds, but for that moment they walked away without a question being asked.

Dover

8 – 45 a.m.

April 19th

David was in the loft, checking e-mails and DIC ‘traffic’ when Mary called him.

“David Conor wants to go to MacDonald’s for Breakfast!”

“He’s had breakfast. I thought we were going later?”

“He wants to go now and anyway I said Mona was picking us up at ten.”

“Okay MacDonald’s breakfast it is. Get him ready I’m on my way down.”

He heard Conor’s sweet voice shout ‘Yay’ and Mary telling him to get dressed in his outside clothes.

The DIC ‘traffic’ was mostly about traces on Mason and the search for ‘Priory’ in London. There was good news about Beaumont. He was stable and doing well. David felt better. He read the newly posted report on Cobb’s death and felt glad that he’d been put out of harms way. He left the computer running and climbed down the ladder, closing the hatch.

Conor was in the hall, wrapped in puffy coat, blue wellington boots, hood up over woolly hat and strapped into a buggy.

“We ready for an adventure wee man?”

“Yeah. Go and see the boats, get old MacDonald’s.”

David put on a warm coat and threw a scarf around his neck. Mary opened the door. The rain had petered out during the night and the April day was cool and damp, with a touch of watery sunshine. David wheeled the buggy down the path and smiled back at his wife.

“Be good and back by ten as I’ve to take him with me, okay?”

“We’ll be good!”

David walked the buggy down Markland Road, turned left then right, passed the pub and Mr Patel’s, the newsagents. He sped down Elm’s Vale road and slipped onto the Folkestone Road. His fast walking pace made Conor whoop with the speed and laugh when David splashed the buggy through puddles. Within minutes they’d passed the entrance to Customs, zoomed past the Station steps to Dover Priory and past Dover College. David wheeled his son into the town centre and they arrived giggling and breathless at the MacDonald’s.

David bought them the breakfast, to take away, with coffee for himself and milk for Conor. That done they went up the pedestrian shopping centre, down into the underpass, David letting the buggy go and running beside it down the ramp, Conor squealing with fear and delight. A short push up and into the open concourse of the harbour front, to the right of the ferry terminal and the left of the Marina and they pulled by benches, near the swimmer statues, the harbour wall in front of them. They settled on a bench, Conor’s little legs dangling and David got the food out.