Guns Of Brixton (76 page)

    'I'm
just a driver.'

    'And
the reason you're here is personal? You want someone banged up?'

    'Something
like that.' In a fucking coffin, thought Mark.

    'Who's
the person you're out to get? Do we know him?'

    'Oh
yes.'

    'Name?'

    Mark
shook his head again. 'Don't worry, you'll know when the time comes.' 'And a
reward?'

    'It'd
come in handy, but I don't really care. But I want to get away. I don't intend
to do any time.'

    'I
can't guarantee that.'

    'You're
going to have to. I'll give you the full details and it's your job to make sure
I don't get my collar felt.'

    'I'll
have to talk to my superiors.'

    'Go
on then. Don't let me stop you.'

    'All
right. But first tell me what you know.'

    So
Mark did. Most, but not all. No mention of Jimmy Hunter, of course. That was
Mark's little secret. But he did tell Sean that Daniel Butler had an inside man
or woman on the plot. 'No one must know that you know,' he concluded.
'Otherwise they'll call the party off.'

    'That
makes it very difficult,' said Sean.

    'I
never said it was going to be easy,' said Mark. 'But if you pull this off,
what's the betting on some promotion?'

    Sean
considered. 'If you're lying…'

    'Why
would I bother?'

    'It'll
be a big operation.'

    'It's
a big job. Armed guards, twenty-five million in stones.'

    'And
all just on your say so…'

    Mark
blew air out of his mouth in frustration. Didn't this dickhead know good
intelligence when he heard it? 'Listen,' he said. 'Check out an old printing
works in Canning Town.' He gave Sean the address. 'See what's going on there.
But be careful. There's blokes around with guns who wouldn't be pleased to see you.
I mean it. One less copper to them would be a bonus.'

    Sean
looked at him long and hard. 'OK, I'll do that. But there's not much time, if
what you say is true. And if you're having me on…'

    'Do
you think I'm having you on? This is bloody serious. One word that I've spoken
to you about it and I'm dead.'

    'You
must hate this man very much.'

    Mark
cocked his head.

    'The
man you want banged up,' said Sean.

    'Believe
it.'

    'What
did he do?'

    Mark
smiled. 'That's for me to know.'

    'Fair
enough. How can I get in touch?'

    'You
can't. I'll call you later.' He got up then and made as to leave. 'There's no
one outside waiting to follow me is there?' he asked.

    It
was Sean's turn to shake his head. 'No,' he said.

    'OK,
I believe you.' But even so, when he left the pub, he took a very circuitous
route back to his hotel, even though he was eventually convinced he wasn't
being followed.

    He
phoned the nick again late that afternoon and Sean was waiting for his call.
'All right,' he said. 'I've been up to Canning Town. There's. something
happening there for sure. I've got a provisional go ahead. But I'll need to
know more. Can we meet again?'

    
'Sure.
But just you. And don't be clever. I can spot a tail a mile off.'

    'Fair
enough.'

    They
arranged to meet at a car park in Crystal Palace and Mark walked the short
distance from his hotel. Sean was waiting in his Mondeo. Mark got in and said:
'Drive.'

    They
talked as they went. Mark turned the rearview mirror so that he could see the
road behind and, just as he thought, two cars joined them. - But he said
nothing. It was just what he expected.

    'I'm
going to take a look-see tomorrow at the depository,' said Sean. '

    'Well,
be cool.'

    'I
will. My guv'nors have spoken to the bosses there. They're having kittens. I'm
going in as public health.'

    One
of the cars following turned off, but then another appeared and the first car
overtook them and vanished into the traffic. Mark knew that three or four cars
was the minimum for a good tail. 'You disappoint me, Sean,' he said.

    'What?'

    'You
know we've got company. That's no way to build up trust.' 'Don't know what
you're talking about.'

    'Course
you don't. But I hope you're better at finding some way for me to get out,'
Mark said as he set the mirror straight.

    'Don't
worry, I will. Tell me more about the numbers and weapons.'

    'Seven
are going in. Like I told you, armed with automatic and semiautomatic weapons.'

    'Any
names?'

    'First
names only. And some are using fakes. I don't know who the fuck they are. I'm
just a driver, don't forget. Low man in the pecking order. I do what I'm told
and that's that.'

    'How'd
you get the job?'

    Mark
smiled without mirth. 'Someone dropped out,' he replied.

    'What's
your share?'

    'An
even split after the top men take their cut.'.

    'Is
that the problem?'

    'No,
I keep telling you. It's not money I'm interested in. There's someone there I
want to see go down for a long time.'

    'Well,
you must know his name.'

    'Course.'

    'So
tell me, and I'll make sure.'

    'That's
not part of the deal.'

    'Dark
horse, aincha?'

    The
dusk was gathering in the early summer evening and Sean saw Mark nod his head
in the light from the street lamps that were popping on one after another on
the main Camberwell road. 'OK,' said Sean. 'But how can I make sure we get
him?'

    'Oh,
you'll get him all right. I'll make sure of that.'

    'Are
you going to be armed?'

    'What
do you think?'

    'You'll
have to lose your weapon.'

    'I
don't care. I don't intend to use it,' Mark lied.

    'Right.
I've written my mobile number down. Use that from now on.'

    'I
don't want to meet you again,' said Mark.

    'Maybe
just once mote, over the weekend.'

    'Maybe.
But it's risky.'

    'A
favour for a favour.'

    'OK,
Sean, but make it brief.'

    'Do
you have a mobile number?'

    'Yes.
But I'm not giving it to you.' I'll be in touch.'

    'Where
do you want to be dropped off?'

    'Anywhere
here will do,' said Mark. He had nothing to do, and didn't - want to make it
easy for whoever was following them to get on his tail. - When Sean stopped the
car, Mark jumped out, ducked into a side road, went to the end, stopped and lit
a cigarette. A young couple, man and woman entered the street too, and he
waited until they were close and walked back towards them. He saw just a slight
look of alarm from the bloke and he smiled and passed them, went back to the
main road and joined the queue for a bus that was just stopping. He chucked the
driver a pound coin and saw the couple on the corner, the woman talking into a
mobile phone or radio. The bus pulled away and Mark immediately rang the bell
for the next stop, jumped off and walked into a pub on the corner. He ordered a
lager and watched the door. The only person to enter in the next fifteen
minutes was a grey-haired man with a grey-haired dog. Mark finished his drink
and went outside. It was twilight by then and he pulled up his collar and
walked down the road until he came to a minicab office with a couple of old
bangers parked outside. A bubble driver was only too pleased to run him up to
Crystal Palace, and Mark got him to drop him off round the corner from the
hotel. Even so, he still didn't go straight back but took another circuitous
route until he was sure he was clean, and then went in and had a drink at the
bar before going to bed.

    The
next day he went to see Linda.

    He
knew it was a crazy thing to do, but he couldn't help himself.

    It
was a fine, warm morning and, once again, he parked up outside her j house and
watched Sean leave for work. It was suicide if Sean saw and recognised him,
but, like a junkie dying for the next fix, Mark just couldn't stay away.

    As
school time approached, the nanny came out with Luke and took him off in the
car. Mark smoked a cigarette, and just as he was about to walk over and knock
on the front door, it opened and Linda came out with Daisy. The little girl was
in some sort of child chair in one hand, and Linda carried a wicker basket
containing gardening tools in the other. Linda was dressed in khakis and a
T-shirt and she sat her daughter in the shade of the privet, pulled on a pair
of canvas gloves, knelt and started digging in one of the flower beds. Mark
ditched his cigarette, got out of his car and walked across the road. He stood
by the front gate and looked at the two females enjoying the morning air.
'Watch out for worms,' he said. 'I believe they eat little girls.'

    Both
looked up, one non-comprehending and the other with a frown. 'I beg your
pardon,' said Linda. 'Were you talking to me?'

    'Yes,
Linda, that's right,'" said Mark.

    She
did a classic double take when he called her by name, and suddenly recognition
filled her eyes. 'Mark? Is that you?'

    'You
always say that?'

    'God,
you look old.'

    'Thanks.
But then, I feel old.'

    'What
are you doing here?'

    'Chatting
up a pair of good looking birds.'

    'Be
serious. Are the police after you?'

    'Always.
You know that.'

    'If
Sean saw you…'

    He
already has, thought Mark, but said: 'I watched him go off on his mission to
keep the streets safe for decent members of society.'

    She
looked up and down the road as if fleets of black marias were about to arrive.
'You'd better come in,' she said.

    'What
about nanny?' asked Mark.

    'She's
going up to London, after she's dropped Luke off. Shopping. She won't be back
'til lunchtime.'

    'I
could use a coffee.'

    'Come
on, then, though I don't know why I…'

    'Because,'
said Mark and opened the gate and walked in. Linda discarded her gloves into
the tool basket and grabbed Daisy. Mark followed her into the kitchen, where
she transferred the infant into a high chair. Daisy chewed on a rusk and gave
Mark pensive looks. 'So what's all this about?' asked Linda after she'd put the
kettle on. 'I couldn't stay away.'

    'That's
why I've heard nothing from you for months.'

    'You
didn't want to know. I gave you first refusal and you refused.'

    'That
didn't mean I couldn't've been convinced.'

    'I
had to go.'

    'Always
the same old Mark. Always on the run.'

    'I
had no choice.'

    'So
you left.'

    'You
wanted me to go.'

    'No,
I didn't.'

    'Well,
you did a fair impression of someone who did.' 'You just turned up out of the
blue. I hadn't seen you since that night at the flat where you left me all
dressed up and nowhere to go.'

    He
smiled just a little at her choice of words. 'I told you I was sorry.' 'Mark,
you've been apologising to me since we met.' 'I know. Some relationships are
like that, I suppose.' 'Relationship. What relationship? We never had one
except for a little while at the start. Then when you told me who you were…'
'Who you were, more like.' 'And who was I?' 'You know.' 'No. Tell me.'