Tick Tick Tick (33 page)

‘Shit!’

Garrett’s eyes are trying to warn me that something nasty is on the other side. I show him the Duck Tape and motion what I’m going to do. Quickly I cover up the window in tape, step back and punch it hard. The window breaks silently, and I can simply remove the pane out, stuck to the tape.

Crawling through the space, a fragment of glass rips at my arm. I ignore it. I can see the grenade on the end of the wire, and once again take my time dismantling it. Slow and steady, Downey. Keep concentrating, you know how to do this; just focus, pay no attention to Garrett and focus. I tease out the wires, each in a specific order, I haven’t forgotten how. I can feel beads of sweat forming as relief washes over me. That’s two down.

I stand looking at Garrett, knowing that he is a living bomb; never have I felt so shit scared in all my life. He’s like a son to me, and now his life rests in my hands.

I mutter to myself, ‘Well, it’s too obvious to just pull off, so something’s got to be inside.’ I look closely at the pipe on his wrists without actually touching it.

‘Garrett, I know you’re scared, but I need you to do exactly as I tell you… okay?’ He blinks his understanding again.

‘Okay kiddo, I want you to stay perfectly still. I’m going to have to cut through the pipes and get rid of the … trap, okay?’ He just looks at me with those damn beautiful eyes.

I pull out the Swiss army knife, flick out a blade and can feel the sweat on my hand before I’ve even started. I kneel in front of Garrett to get a better perspective. Carefully I cut into the plastic piping, shredding it; Garrett’s eyes are transfixed on my every move. Finally I see the initiator. As the sweat drips from my forehead onto the floor; I slowly reach inside the pipe. Garrett shuts his eyes but remains perfectly still. Gently I tease the explosive out… slowly separating it. Finally it breaks free, and I breathe in sheer relief.

Quickly I remove his gag but signal for utter silence, and then undo the rest of his ropes. He jumps into my arms, the little body hugging me fiercely, and I can feel my own hot tears fall down my face. Goddamn it, Mack would be so damn proud of him. I know I am.

‘You did really good, now I’m gonna lift you out of the window and I want you to run exactly where I point, then get to my car and call for backup.’

‘Yes Uncle Rob,’ he whispers.

‘Now you remember how to do that?’

‘Uh huh, just like you and Grandpa taught me.’

I ruffle his hair. ‘Good boy; now where’s Mummy?’

Garrett’s eyes flicker in anger.

‘The bad man tied her up and took her outside, I didn’t see where.’ His little lip begins to quiver.

I hold him close. ‘Don’t you worry about Mummy … I’m going to find her, now remember what I said?’

‘Uh huh.’ I pick him up and carry him to the window, showing him the
only path
he must take.

‘Now when I put you down, you run exactly there; don’t look back, just keep running until you get to the car.’

I kiss his little face as I pop him through. ‘Okay Garrett, now run.’ He does exactly as he’s told and moves like a whippet chasing a hare. I watch him take the exact path I’d motioned, he doesn’t deviate it from it with even a footstep. Again, Mack would’ve been proud.

I pick up my knife and slide it into my ankle strap, then pull out my taser, really wishing it was a Glock. ‘Okay asshole… let’s do it.’

As I move towards the door, I can see a spot of something moving just edging under the door; the silver glow of mercury lies in deadly wait.

‘Oh you are a smart one… but not smart enough.’ Thank God for the old SO19 training I did years ago.

I know that on the other side of that door is a glass vial filled with mercury. It will be set at an angle on top of the door handle, connected with two wires to deadly explosives, just waiting for me to make the mercury move, and then the house will blow. Fantastic.

I flick open the Swiss army knife again and use the reamer to unpick the lock, then I slide the blade down the side of the lock and the door swings open, the mercury untouched.

Score three to the good guys.

I’m in the hallway, crouched instantly on the alert; what other wonders are awaiting me?

Nathan Farrell is sitting at the top of the stairs. He has spiky, short blonde hair; he’s dressed in army fatigues, battle dress. The eyes are hooded, and dead. His face is angular with a slim, pointed nose and pencil-thin lips. He’s looking relaxed. His polished boot taps the floor.

‘Looking for me?’ he smirks.

I can feel the hatred burning inside me. ‘No, I just came visiting for the hell of it.’

A flash of anger passes over his face.

‘You all think you’re so damn smart, don’t you?’ he snaps.

I move a little closer. ‘Well I’ve found the pack of cards if that’s what you mean. No real friends then, Nathan; all alone in the world?’

He smiles, if you can call it a smile, ‘Ah, figured it out at last… but you should have saved so many more lives. Idiots, all coppers are idiots.’

‘Yes, well, we all can’t be Einstein now can we?’ He knows it burns within me that I didn’t catch him sooner. He also knows that I nearly lost my partner because of him, and he’s trying to bait me into making a fatal mistake. I breathe slow and steady and just concentrate on his every movement.
He is not going to win this time!

Nathan lights a cigarette, the smoke curling. I watch him as the match still flickers.

‘Any last requests?’ he asks.

‘Yeah – go fuck yourself.’

He shakes his head and takes a long drag, blowing the smoke out slowly.

‘Wrong answer.’

He quickly pulls out a Molotov cocktail and touches the match to it, igniting it instantly. He hurls the cocktail at me as I break for cover, throwing open a door and diving through.

The bottle explodes, fire rips along the walls, the pressure shattering window panes, and fragments fly past my head.

Suddenly he’s at the door, rifle in hand, his eyes glazed over, and a frenzied look has taken hold. I stagger to my feet trying to breathe.  He stands looking at me. ‘Now, I’m a fair man,’ he says.

‘Sure you are.’ Like I believe a single word this bloody nutcase says.

He throws down his rifle far behind him and employs a boxer’s crouch. He springs for a snap kick and misses; he lunges again, the hands clasped around my throat. I think of those fifty seconds to snap a hyoid bone… tick, tick, tick… and rage overwhelms me. I clasp my hands together and bring them down hard on his nose, breaking it; blood spurts as he recoils backwards.

I can hear him growl like a caged animal now let loose. He leaps towards me and turns mid-air, kicking me in the kidneys, taking the wind out of me as I fall to my knees. He grabs my head from behind and smashes my face into the floor, time and time again,

‘Christ,’ I gasp as I see my own blood on the floor.

‘He isn’t gonna save you,’ he laughs. Another snap; this time it’s my ribs. I can hear the sounds of sirens coming at full speed, the sound of the helicopter on the horizon, but I know that that they are going to be too late. I haul myself to my feet, as blind fury boils within me.

‘You murdering son of a bitch.’

I fly towards him screaming, catching him momentarily off guard. I punch him hard again in the nose, then I go again and aim for the lower legs, lifting him up and smashing him into the hallway wall.

I try for the rifle, but he kicks it easily away. Turning I see the bomb and hear the ticking clock –
01:26
. ‘Jesus Christ.’

He slams into me, splitting my lower lip, knocking me onto the stairs.

‘No way out – for you or me,’ he grins.

I stand, lowering my arms, feigning defeat; he sees the opportunity and goes for my face. I snap hold of his wrist, rotating his hand and twisting the elbow, I smash my knee into his face time and time again, until he lies there a bloody mess. I turn and look at the clock –
00:39
. I break for the main front door, and throw myself through the glass. Nathan looks at the clock…
00:24
.

‘Must pull the wires out,’ he mutters. He struggles to get up, reaching behind him blindly for support, his hand moves the glass vial, the mercury slides in slow motion, he realises what he’s done and his eyes widen in terror… TICK!

Bang! An almighty, horrific fireball erupts.

I tear across the garden like a maniac as coppers pour from their cars. ‘Get back, get back, the whole damn place, it’s gonna blow.’

00:00

The blast tears through the house, windows blow out, doors are turned to flying shrapnel and fire rages out of every orifice… and I stand and watch the son of a bitch burn, the air thick with black smoke.
Take that, arsehole
. I watch the smoke curl upwards, and think of everyone who has died horrifically by his hands, of those who suffered through the loss of a loved one and their haunting nightmares that will remain with them forever; for the partner and friend that I so nearly lost and for his grandson Garrett who will have horrendous dreams for some time to come. I watch Nathan Farrell being burned to death, knowing the only place he is going to... is to hell.

I sag onto the pavement, my body battered and bruised from head to toe, but elation surges through me. Suddenly Garrett’s little body is hugging me, hanging on for grim death.

‘Uncle Rob?’

‘Yeah?’

He’s hugging me round my neck. ‘Where’s Mummy?’

‘She’s in the boot of her car.’

‘Is she still alive?’ he whispers.

I glance up. ‘Yes, son.’

His pleading eyes are teary. ‘How do you know?’ he begs.

‘Because I saw the air holes punched in it.’

Coppers suddenly race across to the car and pry the boot open. Tracy Bull is lying trussed up like a turkey.

Someone shouts, ‘She’s alive.’

Garrett breaks free and runs towards the car. ‘Mummy, Mummy!’

Then: ‘Uncle Rob… Mummy’s wearing a necklace like the one I had round my wrists.’

I freeze for a second. ‘Don’t touch her, don’t touch her,’ I scream.

Running to the car I can see her eyes are panic stricken. I try to reassure her.

‘Tracy honey, everything’s going to be all right. Now don’t move, and don’t even breathe.’

Once again I pull out my knife, motioning for everyone to get back. Garrett’s struggling, but they get him back to a safe distance.

I carefully examine the device; it looks the same. Once again I slowly cut through the pipe, but I have to stop several times because my hand just won’t stay steady. My body is nearly spent.  I see the initiator, and start teasing the wires from the explosive. My hand slips, and Tracy shuts her eyes, her whole body as tight as a spring.

I start again, finally the explosive comes away in my hand, and I sink to the ground in sheer and utter relief. Coppers rush in and untie her, remove her gag; she starts sobbing, until Garrett jumps into her arms.

‘Garrett, oh my Garrett.

She looks at me. ‘The man?’

I smile. ‘Let’s put it this way, cremation fees are just so damned expensive these days.’ I stumble up, and watch the two of them hug each other so tightly, not ever wanting to let go, not for one minute, not even for a split second.

The air is heavy with dark smoke, drifting skywards, and I watch as Nathan Farrell disperses above me… now that’s
justice
.

CHAPTER 39

It’s over, it’s finally over. We call in to see Mack, who’s now recuperating at home, being fussed over by Betty; he seems to be enjoying every minute and I can’t blame the old man. I sit down on the bed beside him, while Connie chats to the others downstairs.

‘How you doing then, old timer?’ I ask.

‘Better now that Nathan Farrell is a crumble of ashes, and Garrett and Tracy are safe.’ I can see the relief in his face.

‘How’s Garrett holding up?’ I’ve been worried that he might suffer some sort of delayed shock.

‘He’s doing great. Says he wants to be a copper like you; not like me mind, no, he wants to be just like you.’ He feigns hurt.

I laughed. ‘What did you say?’

‘Over my dead body, go and be a doctor instead.’ The smile creases his face; damn, it’s good to see him smiling again.

I know it’s been hard for him to find out that Tim Fash, the man he’d killed, wasn’t our true serial killer; but as I’d told him, Fash was no saint, and he’d shot first. I also know that Mack had felt helpless over Tracy and Garrett. When you’re a trained copper, and have been injured; there is nothing worse than not being able to protect your own family.

We chat a while, going over the case, until I can see the tiredness creep over him. I say my goodbyes, and tell him I’ll pop in again in a couple of days. I’m almost at the door when he shouts.

‘Downey?’

‘What?’

‘I owe you one.’

I think back to my spree killer, and how Mack and Betty had got me through what was one of the worst periods of my life.