For the Sake of the Children: The first Chloe Webster thriller (Chloe Webster Thrillers Book 1) (24 page)

‘It’s just down here on the right. There it is, that place with the blue roof. Some kind of old warehouse I think. Drabble uses places like this all the time for his dirty work.’ Mickey slapped the wooden truncheon he was holding into the palm of his hand repeatedly. It was a sign of nerves, or excitement, or both. He’d rather have a gun with him, but the cupboard at the club was empty, and he had a pretty good idea who had them. ‘They’ll be armed you know.’

The Timer nodded. ‘I know Mickey. Don’t worry, I’m ready for anything this time. So what’s he doing down here today then?’ The Timer showed no signs of nerves at all, but inside his heart was beating like a drum. This was the final curtain, and then it would be his time to take a bow and leave it all behind. ‘So you reckon Jez’ll be with him?’

‘Yeah I think so. I haven’t seen him today, but I don’t know where else he’d be.’

The Timer pulled the car up short of where Mickey had been pointing. ‘Come on then, let’s get going.’

They climbed out and approached the building with care, keeping low against a small concrete wall which ran up the side of the property.

‘You go round the back Mickey and try to find a way in. I’ll give you a minute or two and then I’ll go in the front. See you inside. And be careful.’

‘Okay. Good luck mate.’ Mickey slapped the Timer on the back and made his way down the side of the building. A passageway took him between the warehouse and the neighbouring property, and ended at a dilapidated wooden gate. He pushed it open without too much effort and rounded the corner to the rear side of the warehouse.

It was then that he saw Drabble leaving the building. He couldn’t fail to recognise the large frame and the expensive dark suit walking away from him across the back yard of the warehouse towards a gate, beyond which stood Drabble’s parked car.

Mickey set off after him trying hard to make as little noise as possible on the gravel covered yard, but as he approached, Drabble must have sensed something and the big man turned to face him.

‘Mickey, what the hell are you doing here? I told you to watch the club. You haven’t left those two idiots in charge have you?’

Mickey pulled out the wooden cudgel and Drabble raised his hands and took a step back. ‘Come on now Mickey, don’t be an idiot. There’s no need to get over excited lad. Don’t do anything you’ll regret. Put it away and we’ll forget all about it.’

But it was too late for that. Mickey had worked for Drabble for many years and had never received any respect, never felt like part of the family. The rage that he’d kept deep within him so many times in the past came roaring to the surface and there was no stopping it now as it broke free and engulfed his every action. He approached Drabble and swung the truncheon hard at the large man’s head. Drabble instinctively put his arm up and took the full force of the blow on his wrist.

‘Mickey, get a grip of yourself. I don’t want to have to hurt you. Pack it in.’ Drabble held his forearm and rubbed at it as Mickey drew back the club and aimed another blow at Drabble’s head. Before he had chance to land it, Drabble kicked out fast and hard, making contact between Mickey’s legs with incredible force. The intense pain ensured that Mickey fell to the ground, unable to catch his breath, gasping and coughing, writhing on the gravel. The rage was gone in an instant. It was over, and he already regretted his actions. As he lay there, Drabble reached inside his coat and pulled out a knife. He knelt down, unconcerned about his suit, and took a fistful of Mickey’s hair, pulling the boy’s face up close to his own.

‘Mickey, you silly lad. What do you think you’re doing? How many people do you think have tried to do what you’ve just tried? Do you think I’ve just been lucky all these years? And what the hell do you think your mother would say if she was here now?’

He ran the knife across Mickey’s throat and blood instantly appeared and dribbled down his neck like a line of red icicles. Mickey groaned and gurgled, but he was unable to make a coherent sound as he began to choke on his own blood. Drabble pulled the younger man close to him and held him until he died. He’d promised Mickey’s mother all those years ago that he’d look out for him, and somehow he’d failed, but what choice did he have? After laying him down gently on the cold ground, he stood up and headed off towards his car, brushing dust from his suit as he went.

A tear stabbed at the corner of his eye.

‘So here we are at last Miss Webster. Just you, me and lover boy here.’ Jez was clearly enjoying every minute of this and Chloe knew there was no way out for her now. She looked again at her father in the chair next to her but he was still unconscious. She felt completely alone and empty, all hope gone. Even the overwhelming sense of fear had eased. She closed her eyes and let happy memories fill her mind. Her mother appeared in her thoughts and she smiled as a sense of warmth and wellbeing overcame her body.

I’m coming mum. I’m coming.

‘Why is she smiling?’ Ben sounded astonished. ‘We’re about to kill her and she’s smiling. What’s that all about?’

‘I guess she’s making peace with herself or something.’

Chloe’s father moaned and began to sway from side to side in his chair. The tight bindings meant that the chair rocked with him, the wooden legs making a rhythmic clacking sound on the concrete floor of the warehouse.

‘Aye aye, dad’s awake is he?’ sneered Jez.

Chloe opened her eyes and saw her father fall onto his side as the chair lost its balance and toppled over. His head hit the floor and it seemed to bring him back to full consciousness. The sight of his own daughter stood there with a noose around her neck made him cry out and begin to thrash wildly against the bindings that still secured him to the chair.

‘Come on Ben, this is great. We’ve got another spectator here. Give me a hand.’

Together they pulled the chair back upright and carried it to the corner of the room, wedging it into the angle to prevent any more movement. Jack was still trying to release himself from the chair. He was obviously in some discomfort as he did so but it was also apparent that he would do anything to get out of that chair if he could.

Jez laughed. ‘I’d just sit still if I were you old man. You’re never gonna get that tape off, it’s far too strong. Don’t worry, it’ll soon be your turn. Just sit back and enjoy the show.’

But that was the last thing Jack intended to do. He continued to struggle and shout and the irritation on Jez’s face was obvious. He strolled back over to Jack and slapped him hard across the face.

‘Now pack it in,’ he shouted. ‘You might not believe this, but I could make this far worse for both of you than it already is.’

‘Dad, it’s okay, don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.’ Chloe hated to see her father so agitated and her words made him stop and stare at her. She looked into his deep blue eyes and smiled. ‘I’ll be fine.’

‘Right, I’ve had enough of this,’ barked Jez. ‘It’s time to get this done and get out of here.’

He marched over to Chloe and kicked the chair out from under her feet. It took a split second for her to realise what he’d done, but the grip around her neck quickly left her in no doubt. The suffocation was instant and as she thrashed around hopelessly, she could only hear her father’s desperate scream as the darkness surrounded her.

The Timer had waited a couple of minutes to give Mickey a chance to find a way in at the back of the warehouse. Once he’d entered the small reception area at the front, he knew instantly that something was happening. He could hear shouting. It sounded like an older man. Other voices could be heard too. And was that a female voice?

What the hell is Drabble doing in there?

A corridor led him from the reception area past a variety of large rooms. The place looked like it hadn’t been used for years, and vandals had seemingly enjoyed themselves pulling it to pieces. He followed the commotion that had greeted him when he first entered the building, sensing that it was coming from a room further down on the left hand side.

More shouting, then a woman’s voice again. It sounded scared but reassuring. He couldn’t make out the exact words. As he moved nearer he heard a man’s voice which he instantly recognised. It was Jez. He paused as things went very quiet for a moment, and the next thing he heard made him flinch. A man let out a scream that was full of dread and fear, like nothing he had heard before. It was accompanied by yobbish cheering.

He gripped his gun tightly and eased his way into the room from where the noise was emanating. The sight which greeted him was one that would stay with him for a very long time. A girl was hanging by the neck, her legs thrashing around involuntarily. Jez and another man were celebrating their catch, backs to the entrance, unaware of the Timer’s presence, whilst an older man sat bound to a chair in the corner, head bowed to the floor.

It only took the Timer a few seconds for recognition to strike him. Standing next to Jez was a guy from the law firm. The name
Ben
rang a bell for some reason. And the girl on the rope, she was also from the law firm, the girl he’d been to see on Drabble’s behalf.

Without hesitation the Timer did what he’d come here to do and shot Jez in the back of the head. Before the echo of the gunshot had even faded, his victim’s knees gave way and he crumpled to the floor in silence. Ben instinctively dived to the floor alongside him and covered his own head, already begging for his life. The Timer ran over to the girl and lifted her weight onto his shoulder. She let out a gasp as he did so and filled her lungs with air.

‘Don’t worry love, you’ll be okay. Looks like I’m just in time. Just try to keep still.’ He reached for his knife and sliced through the rope above her head, gently setting her down on the concrete. He looked at the man in the chair, who stared with disbelief, tears flowing down his face. The Timer turned to Ben.

‘What the fuck is going on here? Where’s Drabble?’

‘Please don’t shoot! I don’t know. He left ages ago.’

The Timer pointed his gun at Ben’s head.

‘Don’t.’ It was the faintest of voices but the word was enough to stop him from pulling the trigger. He turned to see the girl looking up at him from the dusty floor.

‘It’s Miss Webster isn’t it? I see you managed to get yourself into a whole shit-load of trouble then? It doesn’t really surprise me; I was worried about you that first day we met at the law firm. A little too strong-willed for your own good I thought, especially to be mixed up with these people.’ He looked again at the man in the chair. ‘Who’s he?’

‘My father.’ Chloe was struggling to make herself heard. She was having difficulty swallowing, her throat felt like someone had poured sawdust down it and the pain was unrelenting. ‘Why are you here Mr Crawford? Actually, don’t tell me, I don’t care. And I guess that’s not your real name either…’

The Timer winked at her and walked over to Jack, flicking his knife through the bindings which restrained him in the chair.

‘Go and see to your daughter Mr Webster. She’s had a nasty experience.’

Jack said nothing. He limped across and knelt over his daughter. The first aid training he’d received in the army took over as he checked her out as best he could.

The Timer returned his attention to Ben, who was still cowering on the floor like a scared child.

‘Miss Webster has asked me not to shoot you. What do you think about that?’

Ben removed his hands from his head and peered up at the timer.

‘Well? What have you got to say to her? If you’d done that to me I’d want to kill you. I’d probably hang you up there myself.’

Chloe could see Ben from where she was lying. He was visibly shaking, and all the colour had drained from his face. He said nothing.

‘No? Not a word for the lady? How about a
sorry
or a
thank you
?’

Ben just looked forlorn and dropped his eyes to the ground.

‘You pathetic little fuck.’ The Timer’s kick connected with Ben’s jaw, emitting a sickening crack. He went over with a groan and didn’t move again.

The Timer checked his watch, and then the sound of a child crying drifted into the room from the corridor beyond.

‘George!’ Chloe was sure she recognised the voice. ‘Oh my God, it’s George. Where is he?’ She struggled to her feet despite her father’s protests and headed towards the corridor.

‘Be careful Miss Webster, we don’t know who else is around. Drabble could be anywhere.’ The Timer made it to the corridor before her and looked up and down it. There was certainly no sign of anyone else.

‘You stay here with your father. I’ll fetch the child.’

Chloe nodded and sat down on the chair to which her father had been secured earlier. She simply didn’t have the energy to argue.

‘Are you okay dad? What did they do to you?’

Her father sighed. He picked the other chair up and placed it next to his daughter. Sitting down he put his arm around her and pulled her close to him.

‘Like a silly old sod I was worried about you. I know I shouldn’t have interfered but this time I really was concerned. I went to your firm to speak to someone about you…’

‘You did what? Dad, why did you do that? Who did you talk to?’

‘Well at first I met this really nice fellow. Ray, I think his name was. He reassured me and said you were doing very well. Then he came in.’ He pointed at Ben who was still unconscious on the floor. ‘He wasn’t really telling me anything and so I made up a few things to spook him. Told him I knew about what he’d been doing. I said something about dodgy deals and money and anything else I thought would make him talk.’

‘Dad!’

‘I know, but I could see he was worried and I thought I was getting somewhere. And then he told me there was someone I needed to meet; someone who could put my mind at rest.’

Chloe looked startled. ‘And who was that?’

‘Well I don’t know really. He took me to this snooker club and when I got there I saw this big bloke in a suit and after that I don’t remember anything. I reckon they must have battered me, judging by the pain I’m feeling now.’

‘Oh dad, we need to get you to hospital.’

‘Yes, and you. Get that neck checked out.’

They smiled at each other, just as a young boy came toddling into the room.

‘Chloe!’ he shouted and ran to her. She took him in her arms and hugged him, oblivious to the throbbing around her neck.

‘See? I told you I’d come back for you didn’t I? Now George, there’s someone I want you to meet. This is my dad. His name’s Jack.’

‘Hello Jack,’ said George.

‘Well hello there little fellow. It’s very nice to meet you.’

George grinned and buried his face into Chloe’s shoulder.

‘George, where’s the man who came to find you? Is he here?’ Chloe looked out into the corridor but could see no sign of the Timer from where she sat.

‘Gone,’ said George. ‘He told me to give this to you.’

Chloe took the mobile phone from George. After pressing the three numbers, she placed it to her ear and waited for an answer.

‘Yes, hello. Police please.’

I should have done this days ago.