‘No,’ Derek yelled again. ‘Leave him.’
Strickland ignored Derek and kept going. Steve swung the handle to protect himself. Strickland sidestepped his swing.
Derek didn’t hesitate. He jumped off Dylan and charged at Strickland and Steve. He dropped his shoulder and slammed into both of them, smothering the attack and driving them both to the dirt.
Tommy loosened his grip on me and my feet touched the ground again. I drove my heel down his shin. He screamed out and doubled up, but didn’t release his hold. I drove my elbows into his stomach and he finally let go of me.
Dylan was up and both of us charged into Derek and Strickland who were still piled on top of Steve. Strickland wriggled from under Derek’s grasp. He didn’t have the knife in his hand. I grabbed him by the shoulders and jerked him back, sending him crashing into Morgan.
Tommy slammed into my back, sending my head snapping back before driving me into the ground.
Derek pulled himself to his feet with the flick knife in his fist. Dylan went for it, but Derek slapped him aside. He grabbed Tommy and peeled him off me, then put the knife under the chin of his own man.
‘Enough,’ he growled to all of us.
Tommy raised his hands slowly above his head. Derek pushed him away.
Dylan helped Steve to his feet. Despite the pounding they’d taken, they looked OK.
I slowly got to my feet. My neck ached and I felt lightheaded.
Derek pointed the knife at me. ‘I didn’t come here for this. I just came to talk. Stay away. I don’t want to hurt you, but you’re giving me no choice.’
There was plenty I wanted to say, but I didn’t. I’d gotten the reaction I’d hoped for, but not the result.
Derek threw the knife with frightening skill. It buried itself in the dirt at my feet. ‘We’re going. Remember what I said.’
Derek gathered up his gang. He half-carried Morgan to his car. Tommy got behind the wheel and drove them away.
‘Bloody hell,’ Dylan said with an exhale.
With the danger gone, my hands started to tremble.
‘You two OK?’ I said.
They both nodded.
‘You need to get home,’ Dylan said. ‘They got to the house too.’
I locked up. Steve wanted to stay. I didn’t want any of us being there alone, just in case Derek planned on coming back. If he wanted Alex’s car, he could have it. It was of no use to me at this point.
Dylan drove us to Steve’s house and took us around to the back door. It had been forced open and not too efficiently. Whatever tool had been used to bust the door open had left deep gouge marks in the door and frame.
I pushed the door open and ventured inside. I didn’t have to fear anyone lying in wait. They’d been and gone. The place had been turned over. Everything Steve and I held precious lay on the floor — some of it in pieces.
‘Christ,’ I murmured.
‘I came over to see you and found the place like this.’
Steve brushed past me and picked up a picture of him and Gran. There’d be plenty of other mementos in just as bad a condition.
No wonder Derek knew I didn’t have the tape. He’d already been here and searched for it.
‘I’m sorry, Steve. I didn’t think he’d do this.’
‘But we should have expected it.’
‘All this for nothing,’ I said.
‘Not for nothing,’ Dylan said.
‘What?’
‘I know when they’re moving the cars. I overheard Derek’s boys discussing it.’
‘When?’
‘Tomorrow night.’
I grinned. ‘Let’s return the favour and crash his party.’
Lap Twenty-Three
The following night found us back in the south-west. The three of us came to a halt two streets from Morgan’s workshop. We meant business this time. There wouldn’t be a second shot at this. Once the cars were delivered, who knew when another shipment would arrive? We were going to follow the cars to their next point of call, then phone it in to the local police. Brennan’s protection only went so far. He might be able to shelter Derek on his turf, but not on someone else’s. If all went well, it ended for them tonight. I tried not to think about what would happen if it went badly for us.
We’d driven down in three fresh cars. All our vehicles were known to Derek and his guys. Steve had returned the Subaru and got a Vauxhall Vectra and a Renault Laguna as replacements. Dylan had borrowed his dad’s Honda Accord. All three cars were pretty anonymous, but powerful enough to keep up with most things on the road, especially Derek’s car transporter. Having three cars gave us lots of options when it came to surveillance. If the shipment of vehicles was hauled over a long distance, one car was going to get noticed, but with three cars we could rotate the tail.
I slid from my Vauxhall into the cold, dank night. I waved Steve and Dylan over. We huddled up in front of my car.
‘Everybody still up for this?’ I asked.
‘I’ve got my sunny seeds,’ Dylan said tapping his jacket pocket.
‘I’m serious. Last chance for anyone to back out.’
‘We’re doing this,’ Steve said. ‘End of subject.’
‘OK,’ I said. ‘You ready, Steve?’
He nodded and put on his mobile phone headset. I called his number and he picked up the call.
‘You’re all set,’ I said. ‘Stay in touch.’
‘I will.’
Dylan and I got into my car as we watched him walk towards Morgan’s workshop. My heart skipped a beat when he turned the corner and disappeared from sight.
Steve was checking for lookouts. We weren’t going to get caught in Brennan’s surveillance trap like last time. Out of the three of us, Steve was the only one Brennan didn’t know.
I set my phone to speaker so Dylan could hear. ‘Anything?’ I asked Steve.
‘Nope. Nothing so far. No one sitting in cars or hanging around. I’m coming up to Morgan’s place now.’
Dylan tracked Steve’s progress on a street map with his finger. The map showed the street as being only a few inches long. It looked like nothing, but anything could happen in those few inches.
‘OK, Steve?’ I asked.
‘Fine, son.’
Dylan glanced my way. ‘He’ll be OK. Don’t worry.’
I wished I shared his optimism.
After three agonizing minutes, Steve reported, ‘All clear. There’s no one out here.’
I breathed easy again. ‘How about the workshop?’
‘Sunday night is just another work night.’
‘Is Derek there?’ Dylan asked.
‘I don’t think so. I don’t see anything to transport the cars either. I’d say he hasn’t arrived yet.’
‘Where are you?’ I asked
‘At the end of the street.’
‘OK. Come back.’
‘Steve, don’t double back,’ Dylan said. ‘If you go right and then take your next right, you’ll end up back here.’
‘See you in a few,’ Steve said.
When Steve returned, he knocked on Dylan’s window. I powered the window down.
‘It looks as if we’re good to go, so let’s do it,’ he said.
Dylan asked, ‘What do I do if I need a pee?’
‘Use a Coke can,’ I said.
Dylan grinned.
‘Don’t forget,’ I said, ‘if the can’s warm, don’t drink it.’
The joke gave us the spurt of energy to get on with the job. The three of us moved into position. I drove the Vauxhall to the workshop and parked in a spot that gave me a clear view. Steve watched from the north end of the street and Dylan covered the south. If anyone entered or left Morgan’s workshop, we had it covered.
As soon as I was parked, I called Steve and Dylan to give final instructions. Everyone was to stay off the line unless they saw anything.
My phone sat silent in my hand for a long time. The hands on the dashboard clock inched from seven through to eleven. In all that time, I had nothing to report other than the lights were on inside the workshop and Morgan’s people were working. Of course, I doubted Morgan was doing much in the way of actual work after Steve had broken his forearm.