Hunter Hunted by Jack Gatland (best value ebook reader .TXT) 📗

‘I’ve been better, but I’ve also been a hell of a lot worse,’ he replied. ‘The headaches and the dizziness have gone. But then the adrenaline’s also gone, so I’m feeling a little shite right now.’

Doctor Marcos looked to him, her tone softening. ‘Alex, when this is over, we need to have a serious discussion.’

‘On whether I’m fit to continue?’

‘Among other things,’ Doctor Marcos turned to Anjli. ‘Any news on how Declan’s doing?’

‘They haven’t caught him, so hopefully he’s out there fighting. And we think we know what the murder weapon is.’

‘We might have something for you on that,’ Monroe weakly smiled. ‘Oh, and did I hear right, that Billy’s working with Sutcliffe?’

‘Currently, yes,’ Bullman stated, still watching the gym, as if expecting to be attacked at any time.

‘Billy works for the law,’ Monroe replied sagely, sitting on a foldout chair and shutting his eyes. ‘He’s doing the right thing.’

Anjli nodded. ‘We’d better leave,’ she said, looking to Bullman. ‘We just wanted to make sure you were okay, although it sounds like we’ll need to find you a new place to hide.’

‘No need,’ Monroe replied, his eyes still closed. ‘We’ll end this tomorrow.’

And then Monroe, his eyes closed, snored.

‘I hope to God you’re right, old man,’ Anjli whispered.

26

Ghosts

Billy sat in the black Mercedes, looking nervously out of the window as it made its way through the night-time traffic, heading westwards along the Embankment and towards Westminster. He’d been at his desk and about to log off for the evening when DCI Sutcliffe had exited his office and tapped Billy on the shoulder, telling him to grab his coat and follow. Billy had expected them to be heading to a crime scene, or perhaps to a briefing at a different location, but he hadn’t expected the address that was given to the driver of New Scotland Yard.

‘Am I in trouble?’ he asked Sutcliffe, sitting next to him on the back seat, currently reading his phone as they drove.

‘Why would you think that?’ Sutcliffe looked up at him. Billy shrugged.

‘Because we’re in a black Mercedes at eleven at night, and I have no idea where we’re going or why we’re doing it?’

Sutcliffe snorted. ‘That’s the problem with you nine to five-ers,’ he replied. ‘Everything out of the ordinary is an issue.’

Billy bit back the reply that pretty much none of the cases that he’d taken since joining the Last Chance Saloon had been ordinary and sat back in the seat.

‘Frost’s making a play for you,’ he whispered. This gained Sutcliffe’s attention, and he put the phone away as he turned in the seat to face the younger man.

‘Say that again,’ he ordered. Billy licked his now dry lips.

‘He said you were a tool, and that he was effectively going to replace you,’ he replied. ‘He offered me a job in his new unit. And a promotion.’

Sutcliffe nodded at this, as if it wasn’t a surprise. ‘And you’re telling me because?’

‘I thought I ought to,’ Billy said, looking out of the window again. ‘You’re a higher rank, and even though we work together, I still remember what Frost did.’

‘What he did?’ There was a note of caution in Sutcliffe’s voice.

Billy looked back. ‘You know, when he attacked Declan that time.’

‘Oh, yes. That.’ Sutcliffe’s posture relaxed. ‘Well, you did good letting me know. Leave it to me, just carry on as if nothing’s happened.’

’Is this a Rattlestone thing?’ Billy asked. Sutcliffe’s head snapped back to him.

‘What do you mean by that?’ he asked. Billy leaned in closer.

‘He told me that Rattlestone was the future, that it’d be involved more with police work. Suggested I even consider affiliating myself with it.’

Sutcliffe looked surprised at this.

‘Bugger’s definitely making a play,’ he said. ‘He knows he needs Rattlestone on his side if he wants to oust me.’ He smiled. ‘But Rattlestone and me? We go a long way back. And I know where the secrets are.’

Billy grinned. ‘So it’s like the Freemasons?’

Sutcliffe looked away, irritated. ‘I wouldn’t know,’ he said. ‘They never invited me.’

‘Well, that’s easy enough to fix,’ Billy said, settling back into the seat. ‘You get me into Rattlestone, and I’ll put a word in with my Lodge for you.’

Sutcliffe mulled this over for a moment.

‘Only if you join my team after this,’ he suggested. ‘If you’re a team player, that is.’

Billy nodded. ‘There’s a reason I gave up Frost to you, sir,’ he replied.

The car pulled up outside of New Scotland Yard, and Sutcliffe climbed out of the vehicle, Billy following a moment later, looking up at the white brick building beside him. Although Temple Inn was technically City Police jurisdiction, it was on the western border of it, and therefore one reason that all the officers now working there had come from the Metropolitan Police, of which Scotland Yard or, more officially New Scotland Yard was the headquarters for. Billy carried on after Sutcliffe, now walking up to the main entrance and entering without checking on his young companion, hurrying through the foyer, passing through the security checks and entering a lift to the fourth floor. It was only here that Billy realised what the purpose of the meeting was; these were the offices of Chief Superintendent David Bradbury.

As they approached the glass office, using their visitors passes to enter through a turnstile, Billy saw Bradbury rise from his desk, walking out to greet them.

‘Please, come in,’ he said as Billy and Sutcliffe entered, sitting in two offered chairs the other side of Bradbury’s desk.

‘I’m getting pressure from Charles Baker,’ Bradbury started, the formalities and pleasantries over. ‘He wants to know what’s happened with the Declan Walsh investigation.’ He looked down at a sheet of paper. ‘He’s also written a rather lengthy letter to me which states in no uncertain terms that he believes Declan isn’t a terrorist, and that if he proves to be correct at the cost of a good man’s career, then he will make it his life’s purpose to bring down whoever caused