Reckoning (19 page)

Mikey, Jules and Grant didn’t hang around to watch what happened next. As they descended the stairs to the next level they all clearly heard Jared’s bellow of rage that Mikey wasn’t in his office.

CHAPTER 19

“Where the fuck is he?” snarled Jared, grabbing Brogan by the shoulders and throwing him against the wall.

“He was here, honestly,” he exclaimed, wincing as his back was jarred.

“Well he isn’t fucking here now.” Jared seriously considered killing this prick but he might still need him yet. “Find him,” he barked at the rest of his men while keeping Brogan pinned against the wall.

“Grant, Mark Cameron and Jules will be with him. They all act as his bodyguards,” exclaimed Brogan.

“He uses a woman as his bodyguard?” sneered Jared.

“She’s no ordinary woman, trust me.”

Jared glared at him before releasing him, Brogan massaging his shoulder and eyeing Jared nervously, starting to wonder if he’d backed the wrong horse, but he’d promised him a bigger slice of the pie than Mikey and Jez had been willing to give.

Jared took out his phone to call his second-in-command. “Curtis, have you found Jez Law?”

“Not yet. We’re at the hospital but it’s really busy. We can’t do it here.”

“Then follow him or use his wife as leverage. I don’t care, just get it done,” he yelled before hanging up. This wasn’t going as well as he’d planned, he’d envisioned charging in here, killing all the men who refused to come over to his side then executing Jez and Mikey and their inner circle in triumph. Thanks to this dick that wasn’t going to happen. Brogan was supposed to keep a watch on where everyone was but he hadn’t even been able to do that because no one was where he’d said they would be. Grudgingly Jared admitted he couldn’t really blame him for Jez, no one could have seen that one coming and at least he’d warned him so he’d been able to send men to the hospital to take care of him there. If Mikey escaped then the whole thing was fucked. He had to be dead if Jared was to get control of the north.

Reloading his gun, Jared stomped back out into the corridor and followed his men.

Shane stood at a respectful distance as Jez hissed into his phone just outside the hospital entrance, looking absolutely furious and he wondered what the hell was happening now. But he didn’t regret his decision to stay in Manchester, it was all so exciting, he still couldn’t believe it. He’d called his mum and explained what was going on and she’d been made up for him, so he had official permission to stay here and learn from these men.

Jez hung up after speaking to Dane and looked at the young boy fresh from Nottingham, his one and only bodyguard. Dammit, why hadn’t he brought Grant or Mark with him? He’d left Declan inside with Cathy as he was the more experienced, but he hadn’t seriously expected anyone to attack him here.

“We’ve got a big problem,” Jez told Shane as they walked back inside the hospital.

“What is it?” said Shane.

Jez’s heart went out to this poor lad who had no idea what a war was really like. His head was full of the glamour of the gangster lifestyle, which was just an illusion perpetuated by the media. Instead it was a constant, nagging pressure that never let up, interspersed with bouts of horrific, bloody violence. Shane was about to endure his trial by fire. “Back to Cathy’s room. Now,” he said, charging through reception and up the stairs.

“What’s going on?” said Shane as he hurried alongside him.

“Jared Slattery’s sent two men here to kill me. The compound has been breached and his men are trying to kill Mikey and everyone in it.” He glanced at Shane and saw all the colour drain from his face. They reached Cathy’s room to find Declan still standing guard. “Has anyone been in or out?” said Jez.

“Nope. All quiet,” replied Declan, stuffing his hands into his trouser pockets and rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet.

Jez peered through the window to see Cathy reading a magazine while her mum watched television. Safe and sound.

“Thank God for that,” breathed Jez.

“Something wrong?” said Declan. His jaw dropped as Jez related what Dane had told him. “No way, the compound can’t have been breached.”

“It can if some treacherous bastard lets them in,” replied Jez. “All the precautions we’ve taken and this happens.”

“So what do we do?” said Declan, panic creeping into his tone.

“First of all I need you both to keep it together.” He looked to Shane. “If you want out of this say so now because it’s only going to get rougher.”

“I’m staying,” said Shane determinedly. There was no way he was giving up on his dream now he was finally living it.

“Good lad. Here’s what’s happening. Hayden’s taking Amber and Josh to a safe house and a couple of men from Battler and Bruiser’s security firm are watching my kids.” As well as the business in Devon, the brothers owned a security firm in Manchester, run by some of their most trusted men.

“What about Mikey and the others at the compound?”

“Dane Black and his men are on their way to help.”

“They’ll never get there in time, they’re on the other side of the city,” said Declan.

“Let’s just hope they manage it. I need you two here with me, we need to find Jared’s men before they can hurt Cathy.”

“I thought they were coming for you,” said Shane.

“They are but they could use her to get to me. Now I’ve got to make a call I really don’t want to make but I’m not going outside, I’ll go into the relative’s room. Declan, stay here and stand guard. Shane, with me.”

Once inside the relative’s room, Jez stared at his phone uncertainly before making up his mind and dialling. “Riley, I really need your help.”

Mikey, Jules and Grant pelted down the corridor, Fortunately the compound was a rabbit warren, Frank had purposefully designed it that way so anyone unfamiliar with its layout would have a hard time finding their way around, so Jared couldn’t be sure which way they’d gone. Mikey assumed they’d managed to put some distance between them because he couldn’t hear any shouts or footsteps.

He rounded a corner and something hard slammed into his left shoulder. Mikey was thrown onto his back, his entire upper body going numb and he stared up at the ceiling as he tried to work out why he was on the floor. Above him he saw Grant and Jules raise their guns and fire down the corridor. Mikey put a hand to his shoulder and felt warm, sticky blood there. Fucking marvellous, he’d been shot.

A sound drew his attention the opposite way and he saw a man aiming his gun at the back of Jules’s head.

“No,” cried Mikey, panic surging through him. He rolled onto his front, extended his right arm and fired, hitting the man square in the chest. He fired four more shots into him, just to be sure.

“Mikey,” said Jules, hurrying to his side, wrapping her arms around his chest and attempting to drag him back out of the line of fire.

“Ow, shit that hurts,” groaned Mikey. The numbness was wearing off and he wished it would come back.

She propped him up against the wall so she could look at the wound. “The bastard,” she said. “Can you walk?”

“I’ve not much choice,” he said, feeling the energy draining out of him along with the blood. He raised a lazy half smile at the fear in her eyes. “Jules, you look scared.”

“I am, for you,” she said softly.

Their gazes locked and he took her hand.

“Someone’s coming, they must have heard the shots,” said Jules almost sadly as they heard footsteps pounding up the stairs. She broke her gaze with Mikey to call to Grant, “there’s more.”

“I’m still tied up with these two,” he called back, shooting round the corner. “Yes, got one of the wankers.”

Jules checked her gun and sighed. “I’m out.”

“I’ve only got one bullet left,” replied Mikey. “It’s not looking good. I’m sorry Jules, you’d have been better staying well away from us.”

She flashed a grin. “We’re not done yet. Watch this,” she said, drawing her knives from their sheaths.

Jules managed to plant herself behind the door seconds before it opened. The first man who tore through it got one of the knives in the gut. As he dropped to his knees, gasping, the man behind him got the second straight in the neck. She drew the knife out, plunged it into his heart, withdrew it a second time and stuck it into the back of the first man, who was on his knees. Pinning the dead body down with one foot she yanked out both blades, wiping them on the man’s clothes.

“Colour me impressed,” said Mikey weakly.

“I know. Now on your feet, we need to get down to the cellar. Put your arm around me.”

“Anytime,” he smiled.

“Now is not the time for a flirt. Jesus you’re heavy.”

“Ow,” he cried when he fell back to the floor, Jules unable to bear his weight.

“Grant,” she called. “I can’t get him up. You have to help him. Stop arsing about with that prick.”

“Hold on,” he said, taking aim again and firing. “Got him,” he said when the man at the opposite end of the corridor finally fell. He checked his gun. “Crap, I’m out.”

“Me too,” she replied. “Let’s move.”

“If Mark’s not outside the cellar with a car we’re all dead,” said Grant as he hauled Mikey to his feet, who gritted his teeth, doing his best not to cry out.

“Yeah, thanks for pointing out the bloody obvious,” she said. “Let’s move.”

Jules led the way armed with her bloodied knives, Grant hauling a weakened Mikey along with him.

“Riley, thanks for coming,” said Jez, extending his hand for him to shake, which he accepted.

“I’ve got one more day’s leave and I was wanting to spend it with Beth and the kids,” he scowled.

“I know and I’m really sorry but I need you Riley.”

“Alright, I’m listening.”

When Jez had finished explaining, Riley sighed and shook his head. “What the hell is wrong with you people? Can’t you stay out of trouble for five minutes?”

“It would be nice but this isn’t our fault. Some southern prick thinks he can take what we have.”

“I’m just glad Ryan’s already left for Devon.”

“Me too,” said Jez, even though it was a lie. He was only willing to admit to himself that he wanted his big brother. “I’m not asking you to join in the fight, I just need you to protect Cathy. Stay with her until she’s discharged then take her to a safe house. I’ll send some of my men to relieve you there. It shouldn’t take long, you’ll be back with Beth in no time.”

“I’d better be.”

“I really appreciate this.”

“Yeah, so I believe. Now, the first thing we need to do is track down the men Jared has sent after you and neutralise them.”

“You can’t do that here,” he said.

“There are ways to neutralise someone without killing them.” His eyes flicked to Shane. “Who’s this?”

“This is Shane, he started working with us today. Shane, this is Ryan’s other brother, Riley.”

“Pleased to meet you,” said Shane, nodding at him respectfully. He knew all about Riley Cutter, he’d read about him in the newspapers. Apparently him and Ryan shared the same dad while Ryan and Jez shared the same mum. Unlike them Riley wasn’t a gangster, he was in the army. His resemblance to Ryan was freaky, only his eyes were a different colour.

Riley just nodded curtly, he didn’t have time for introductions. “So no one knows you’re working for Jez?” Riley asked Shane.

“No, I only started today.”

“Good, then no one will look twice at you. That could be useful.”

Shane swallowed hard, not liking the way Riley was looking at him. His gaze was just as intense as Ryan’s however, unlike Ryan, he got the feeling Riley didn’t want to help. It was a huge relief when Riley turned that steely gaze on Jez.

“I need to use you for bait.”

“Bloody marvellous,” sighed Jez.

Ryan tiptoed up to Rachel, who was standing at the kitchen counter preparing some vegetables for dinner with her back to him. He wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his face in her neck. “Miss me?”

She turned in his arms to kiss him. “Yes, I did. Very much.”

“You should be more on your guard, I could have been anyone.”

“You only got near her because we allowed it,” said a deep voice.

Ryan turned to see Battler and Bruiser standing in the doorway he’d just walked through. “I’m very glad to hear it. So you watched me tiptoe up to Rachel like a moron?”

“Yeah,” grinned Battler. “It were fucking funny.”

Rachel slid her arms around Ryan’s neck. “Welcome home Babe. How did you get on?”

“I decided to leave Mikey and Jez to it, I didn’t want to get caught up in all that.”

Rachel’s dark eyes clouded with worry. “Do you think they’ll be okay?”

“I do actually. They’re both capable enough.”

“Did you drop off Estelle?”

“I did,” he said, breaking into a smile.

“Ryan, what did you do?”

“I dumped her on a boat belonging to a smuggler friend of mine. As we speak she’s on her way to Brindisi.”

“Italy,” exclaimed Rachel.

“I had hoped she would remain unconscious until she was way out to sea, she’d consumed an entire bottle of vodka. Unfortunately she woke just as the boat was setting off. She wasn’t very impressed. Fortunately she’s Malcolm’s problem now. I do hope she doesn’t cause him too much trouble or he’ll be asking for more money.”