Payback. Part 9

But Elena wasn't there. She was downstairs, having a heart-to-heart with Jane Brooker. Jane and her husband Dave affectionately known as Dave the Rave by the residents of Foxcroft made sure they were on hand to talk or to listen if one of the kids in their care needed them.

They were worried about Elena. They knew her dad had left the country a lot sooner than expected but they didn't know why. But Joey Omolodon wasn't their concern. His daughter was, and she had seemed quiet and withdrawn since seeing off her dad at Heathrow. So Jane had suggested a cup of tea and a 'little chat'.

Elena was up for it. She liked Jane and talking to her was always good, even though this time she couldn't mention what was really on her mind.

They were in the quiet room and Jane was pouring herself a second cup of tea.

Upstairs in Elena's bedroom, a soft ping sounded on her computer. An e-mail had arrived.

Benny drove into the golf course car park and began to check out the vehicles.

'Stand by. Stand by! That's Newman's Discovery in the car park. Looks like a wedding in the clubhouse.'

Fran immediately came on the net: 'Fran's ten minutes away. Check the course first. Look for Watts. If you see him and he's outside, take the shot. Don't wait for us, just do it. Paul, get out of that jam and back us.'

Danny had watched the red Nissan Almera pull into the car park and come to a halt, just as he had watched a number of others arrive since Fergus had set off down the fairway. Every vehicle had brought late arrivals for the wedding party.

For a moment he didn't pay too much attention; he was enjoying the view from his new vantage point. It was almost last light, and in the quickening darkness he had moved to the other side of the clubhouse, where a kids' playground was situated.

Danny was perched on top of a tall slide. He still had a view of the car park and the fairway. Best of all he could now see the function room where the wedding reception was being held. He was watching the dancing and thinking to himself that if most of the people throwing themselves about to the music could actually see what they looked like they would never have got out of their seats.

Glancing over at the car again, Danny saw that the driver had gone round to the raised tailgate. Probably getting the wedding present, he thought as he turned back to his private view of the party and saw one of the bridesmaids take an inelegant tumble onto her backside.

Hunched over the rear of the Nissan, Benny was unzipping his ready bag. Inside was a bivvy bag and warm clothing in case he had to spend an unexpected night out in the cuds. He pushed all that aside and reached for his MP5 SD machine gun, the suppressed version of the MP5.

The two weapons look identical except for the SD's big fat barrel, which sucks up all the gases that push the round along the barrel and make much of the bang when it escapes the muzzle. The remaining noise is the crack as the bullet leaves the barrel faster than the speed of sound. On the SD the rounds are slower, subsonic and virtually silent. Not that Benny was interested in the science, just the silence.

He pulled back the c.o.c.king handle to expose the 9mm round that was already in the chamber. He knew that the weapon and the pistol in his belt holster was always made ready, but he always checked to be absolutely certain. The last thing he needed when he was close to a target was to squeeze the trigger and hear nothing more than a click.

Up on the slide, Danny suddenly noticed his grandfather and Kev Newman about thirty metres down the fairway. They had stopped and were talking quietly. Danny's attention was suddenly grabbed as the lights on the Nissan flashed. The driver had closed the tailgate and pressed the key fob to lock up. He was walking towards the clubhouse, and before he disappeared from view Danny saw that he was holding something dark down at his side. Another present for the happy couple.

Jane said all the right things about Elena and the situation with her dad. She didn't criticize Joey, or even blame him for letting Elena down. She concentrated on the positive, saying that hopefully Elena and her dad would be able to rebuild their relations.h.i.+p at some time, but that for now she needed to think of herself and focus on her own future.

Elena knew she was right, and she enjoyed the chat, but right now she was finding it almost impossible to focus on anything but Danny, and what was happening to him.

Jane loved a good old chinwag and was all set to put the kettle on for another cup of tea when Elena made her excuses, saying she had a lot of schoolwork to get through.

She hurried up the stairs, went into her room and saw instantly that she had an e-mail. She knew exactly who it was from and her eyes widened as she read the brief but chilling message.

Your friends in great danger, must leave Hereford now. TELL THEM!

Elena's hands were shaking as she reached for the new mobile phone Danny had given her.

Big Kev was trying to help his old mate, like he always had before. He had listened in silence as they walked up the course and Fergus warned him of the twin dangers of Fincham and the mysterious woman, who both appeared to be closing in on the truth. 'I had to let you know you're in danger, mate. So that you're prepared. Like you said, you've got family.'

As they neared the clubhouse, Kev stopped. 'There must be some record somewhere of you being recruited as a K. If you could get to it.'

'I've been racking my brains,' said Fergus. 'Look, I'll give you a phone number. It's secure. If you think of anything-'

The phone in Fergus's pocket began to ring. Loudly.

Danny heard the ring and as he looked towards his grandfather and Big Kev, he saw the man from the Nissan appear at the corner of the clubhouse and then dodge quickly back. And in that brief moment Danny saw that the man was carrying a weapon. He knew that shouting a warning would be wrong: he had to use the vital seconds the gunman would take to prepare for the kill. Noiselessly, he climbed down the slide.

Benny couldn't believe his luck: Watts and Newman together. He would take them both out. No problem. He stood back from the corner, put the weapon to his shoulder and took two deep breaths to steady his hold, while easing off the safety catch with his right thumb. He would wait a few more seconds as the DJ inside the clubhouse talked up the next record, and when the music began he would turn and fire. Benny leaned forwards into the weapon, both eyes open for a close-up aim, and waited. He could hear the murmur of conversation. Just a few seconds more...

Fergus knew the call was from Elena she was the only one who had the number. He gestured to Kev that they should get off the golf course, and as they began to walk he pressed the answer call b.u.t.ton and put the phone to his ear.

'h.e.l.lo?'

Elena's voice was calm but urgent. 'They know where you've gone! Get out!'

Fergus. .h.i.t the end call b.u.t.ton; he knew all he needed to know. As he jammed the phone back in his pocket, he felt Big Kev's hand on his arm. He stopped walking and looked at his friend.

'I've got it,' said Kev excitedly. 'A place. Of course, a place. You need to-'

They both heard the movement from the corner of the clubhouse. As they looked towards it, they saw the gunman taking aim.

CHAPTER 25

Danny crashed into Benny at full tilt. They went sprawling onto the gra.s.s, Danny's eyes watering with pain from the impact. He could see nothing as Benny rolled on top of him, but he felt the cold steel of the weapon and grabbed it. Four hands clung to the machine gun, and Benny viciously head-b.u.t.ted Danny as he bucked and twisted, trying to wrench the weapon free.

Fergus and Kev were too experienced to even pause with shock at the sight of the desperate struggle on the gra.s.s. Instinctively, they moved together, almost as one. Kev was still carrying the seven iron he had been using to swipe at the gra.s.s when he was searching for his ball. It was all he had to use as a weapon. He dropped his golf bag and ran, with Fergus at his side.

Before they had taken more than five strides, a dull thud came from the scrum on the gra.s.s and Fergus went down: Benny had pulled the trigger as he fought with Danny. Kev heard his friend gasp and saw him fall but he knew that his only option was to keep going, to try to stop the gunman from firing again.

'Get away from him, Danny. Get away!'

But Danny could do nothing to get away. His opponent was much stronger and had him pinned to the ground. The machine gun was between their chests and as Benny raised himself up slightly to rip the weapon free, Big Kev saw his opportunity.

Without breaking his stride, he pulled back the golf club and closed on his target.

Head down, eyes on the ball, eyes on the ball.

The swing was perfect, the elusive swing Big Kev had always yearned for. Just like the Tiger. With awesome power the club came through and hit Benny beneath the jaw. Bone shattered, blood spurted and Benny's head was almost ripped from his shoulders. His neck snapped like a straw and his body was lifted and thrown onto the gra.s.s next to Danny.

There was no doubt: he was dead.

Danny's eyes bulged as he stared up at the huge man towering over him.

'Your granddad's down, get him to the car!'

Almost too terrified to look, Danny turned round and saw the dead eyes of his attacker staring blankly at him. 'It's... it's Benny.'

Kev bent down and hauled Danny to his feet. 'I don't give a s.h.i.+t who he was. Check your granddad get him to the car. I'll clear up this mess.'

He dug into a pocket and thrust his car keys into Danny's hands. 'Come on, get a grip of yourself. And tell him PJHQ mainframe.'

'What?'

'Just tell him that: PJHQ mainframe.'

Music was pumping from the clubhouse. Danny wiped one arm across his blood-spattered face, then turned and ran to his grandfather. Fergus's breathing was fast and shallow and his hands were covered in his own blood as he pushed down on his jeans in an attempt to stop the bleeding. 'It's the same leg; he hit the same leg.'

He forced himself to sit up, grimacing with pain. 'Help me up, Danny we've got to get to the car.'

Kev had Benny's body slung over his shoulders and his SD in one hand and was heading towards the car park. He had to be quick: back-up could arrive at any moment. The plan was to get Benny's keys and keep hitting the fob until the right vehicle's lights flashed and the car opened up. He would dump the body in the boot and get Fergus and Danny away in his Discovery.

Then he would worry about treating Fergus's wound, if he lasted that long. As Kev moved, with the dead weight hardly slowing him, he saw the vehicle headlights approaching.

'That's Fran at the golf course car park.'

She turned her car off the road and onto the gravel.

'Where are you, Paul?'

'That's Paul two minutes away.'

Fran hit the pressel again as her lights swept the car park and she looked for a parking s.p.a.ce.

'Roger that. Benny, sit rep. Where are you, Benny?'

As the Audi's lights swept over the clubhouse and picked out the figure of Kev carrying Benny, Fran hit the brakes.

'CONTACT! CONTACT! BENNY'S DOWN!'

She had already retrieved her own SD from her ready bag and hidden it beneath the armrest between the rear seats. She reached back, grabbed the weapon and flung open her door.

Kev saw the door open and a figure run to the side of the vehicle. Almost immediately he felt two vibrations rattle through his body as Fran's 9mm double tap entered the corpse slung over his shoulders. He dropped the body and brought up the SD, moving towards the headlights and looking for the attacker.

Disco lights flashed in tempo with the pumping music, casting light and shadow across the car park as Danny rounded the corner, supporting his grandfather as best as he could. In the gloom, Kev was moving towards the Audi.

'Kev!'

'In the car, move! I'll cover!'

Kev fired two rapid double taps at Fran, who was crouching beside her vehicle, but in the glare of headlights it was virtually impossible to get a decent aim. He turned the SD on the lights and they exploded in a hail of gla.s.s.

Danny was doing his best to get his grandfather to the Discovery, with Fergus struggling to help, gritting his teeth to take the pain. As they neared the vehicle, Fergus heard the scream of an engine and saw another set of headlights turn into the car park.

's.h.i.+t! Get in the driver's seat!'

'But I can't dri-'

'You moved the truck in Spain, now move this!'

There wasn't time to argue. As Danny clambered into the driver's seat, Fergus shouted into the darkness for his friend. 'Kev! Let's go!'

Kev was firing on the second vehicle as it skidded sideways to a halt and the door burst open. 'Moving!'

Danny turned over the engine and heard dull pings as the Discovery took rounds. Fergus hauled himself into the back seat and thumped his grandson on the shoulders. 'Get moving, towards Kev! Go! Go!'

Somehow, in halting, shunting movements, Danny edged the Discovery forward. Fergus had left the rear door open and was sprawled across the back seat. 'Kev! Leave them, run for it! Come on!'

As the vehicle bucked towards the car park exit, Paul took slow and deliberate aim at the driver's side of the windscreen. The gla.s.s cracked and frosted as it took three rounds and Danny was showered with tiny shards of gla.s.s. Fear made him scream in terror, but he kept the vehicle moving.

Kev was just two metres from the Discovery. As he moved back, he was suddenly lit up by the headlights of the stationary VW. Fran held her breath. Both her eyes focused on the body ma.s.s going towards the vehicle. She s.h.i.+fted her point of aim to just in front of the moving body and squeezed the trigger.

The round hit Kev in the shoulder and he went down on his knees. The Discovery reached him and he made eye contact with Fergus, who was lying with one arm outstretched, ready to pull his old friend to safety, just like he had years before. But this time they both knew it wasn't going to happen.

As the vehicle pa.s.sed Kev, he staggered back to his feet and began firing rounds at Fran, who was moving towards him. She had no option but to dive for cover.

From behind the VW, Paul stepped out to fire, then saw the Discovery bearing down on him. He tried to dodge away but it was too late. Danny heard a thud as the vehicle made contact.

He pulled at the wheel and turned towards the exit. Through the open door Fergus saw Kev take another round, drop his weapon and fall to the ground. The disco lights flashed off in their sequence. When they lit up the scene once more, just seconds later, he could see Fran standing over his old friend. She fired again.

Fergus reached for the door and pulled it shut. He closed his eyes and clenched them tightly together, only vaguely aware of the vehicle gathering speed. And then, through the pain, he realized his grandson was screaming at him.

'Where now! What do I do! What do I do!'

CHAPTER 26

Fergus had lost a lot of blood too much blood. Danny drove the Discovery away from the golf club and into the countryside, mainly in third gear. It was only when the streetlights ended that he realized he'd been driving without headlights. He fumbled with the steering column as the vehicle swerved from side to side. The windscreen wipers clicked into action and then suddenly the headlights pierced the darkness.

'Stop as soon as you can,' Fergus had yelled at him. 'In cover!'

Danny shunted up a B road, and as he pulled the vehicle into a field entrance the engine stalled. Fergus had already pulled off his jacket and sweats.h.i.+rt. 'Make sure you switch off the engine, then turn the interior light on and get in the back with me.'

When Danny saw his grandfather's face in the feeble glare of the small interior light he almost panicked. It was grey and the pupils of his eyes were like saucers.

Fergus threw him the sweats.h.i.+rt and put the jacket back on. 'You need to plug me up, stop the blood loss.' He reached down and attempted to rip his jeans further apart at the point where the round had entered his thigh, but he was too weak. 'Do it, Danny, rip it open.'

The interior of the Discovery smelled like a butcher's shop. Danny's hands were trembling as he tore the blood-soaked jeans apart. Fergus's thigh was like a ma.s.s of red meat where the round had torn away the flesh.