He had a shower, a brunch on room service and lay down for a nap. He booked an alarm call for three pm so that he could get a haircut, shop for clothes and get ready for his night out.
Chapter 55
Perth Airport
9 – 35 a.m.
April 18th
DIC’s powerful machine and immense influence enabled them to get helicopters chartered and ready when they needed them, but sometimes even that was a slow process; the Liverpool team had been in the air quickly earlier in the day, but David and Beaumont had a wait. The Helicopter had been chartered from Aberdeen and had landed, but had to refuel enough for a return flight. By the time David and Beaumont took off it was near nine forty am. The pilot promised a short flight, around twenty minutes.
Inside the Bell 407 with their headphones on David and Beaumont sat watching the landscape speed by below.
“You were a bodyguard?”
Beaumont gave him a glance, David’s voice sounding less conversational through the headphones.
“Yes.”
“How does a man with a philosophy degree get into that?”
“When I graduated I couldn’t decide what to do so I talked my way into a job as a security guard. I thought I’d make the money and needed the job. I got married in my third year at university and our first child was born just after I graduated. So I worked at garden centres and shops for a security firm. I liked it, but London houses are expensive and Ella’s job and mine didn’t bring in enough for a bigger house and she was pregnant with our second, my son Jacob. So I did a course on body guard work. Defensive driving, unarmed combat and small arms techniques. I switched to body guard work, my trainer and I got on and he got me the job. It was guarding rich business men in foreign countries. Turns out I was away from home a lot. I did that for near enough ten years.”
“Why did you stop? Were you head hunted?”
“I was head hunted after I stopped.”
There was a silence. David looked at him.
“I’m sorry I didn’t mean to pry.”
“No it’s a good story, if it is a sad one. I’d been working for a rich business man, diamond business, South Africa. A good friend, by the name of Greenwell, Bob Greenwell, and I were driving our client to a dinner do one night and were attacked by roadside bandits. They had semi-automatic weapons. Bob told me to stay with vehicle, rolled out of the car and opened fire. He killed the four men, but they returned fire as he shot them and Bob was shot dead. I had to go out and get him, he died in my arms as I carried him back to the car and then I got the client away safely.
David whistled. “My god sounds really heavy.”
“Well I went back to the UK with his body and at the funeral I saw his wife and children, no older than my two. Ella was scared it’d be me next. The incident was in the papers and I resigned, but a couple of days later I got a call from DIC. I figured this had to be safer work.”
“Doesn’t look much like it now does it?”
“No, but if we’re careful we can ride it out. You didn’t seem shocked at the sight of Spencer’s dead body I note. That indicates either stupidity or experience and I know it’s not the former.”
“We opened a truck at Dover as we had a tip on for illegal immigrants. Inside there were fifteen dead Afghanis. The smell was terrible. The lorry had been sealed on the French side, but the driver hadn’t calculated the air supply properly as the ferry was delayed. They avoided leaving air gaps as they knew it alerted us in customs. He hadn’t let them out on the ferry. There were dents on the metal walls of the container where they’d been beating the walls, but the sea was bad, hence the delay, so no-one was on the car decks during the crossing. It was awful.”
“It’s a bad old world sure enough David.”
The pilot interrupted their chatter.
“Ten minutes to Glasgow airport. Do you want to me to arrange transport to your hotel for you?”
“No thanks our firm has a car waiting for us.”
David and Beaumont smiled at each other.
“Still you get the VIP treatment when you travel so there are compensations.” David said.
“Do you feel more like Brie when that happens?” Beaumont answered.
“Trust you to have food on your mind it’s been over an hour since your bacon butties.”
The helicopter began a circle descent into Glasgow airport. It was closing on ten a.m. when they landed.
Chapter 56
Manchester
10 a.m.
April 18th
Cobb had a ten minute start on the chasing DIC. Once he was outside the Arndale Centre Cobb made his way two hundred metres up the High Street to the cash machine and stole one hundred pounds from the account using the card and pin. After he binned the card he walked two streets to the taxi rank. He was worried, but knew they didn’t have a description matching the way he looked. Cobb took the lead cab in the line and flopped in the back.
“The airport please.”
“Sure enough what time’s your flight?”
“Ten thirty.”
“Blimey you’ll just make that. Minimum check in time’s ten minutes.”
“An extra twenty pounds if you get me there in the next twenty minutes.” Cobb said breezily. The adrenalin of his close escape was beginning to give him a buzz.
“You’re on lad. Buckle up eh?”
The big white saloon pulled away with the direct power of all automatics and Cobb leaned back and relaxed for a moment. It wasn’t over yet but he’d been in tighter scrapes than this.
Outside the Manchester Arndale centre it was mayhem, fire engines, armed police and press were all over the place. The DIC three exited the building and they all stopped and looked at the chief inspector in a huddle with armed police and men in suits. All the men in the power huddle turned to look at them. The chief inspector gave them the darkest of looks.
“Let’s get our own car shall we.” Tony said suddenly.
“Let’s.” Shadz said and opened his cell phone and dialled the local DIC watcher.
It was ten past ten when they drove away to the airport with the local DIC watcher telling them that the next London flight was at ten thirty. He floored the accelerator and headed for the airport.
In the car, buffeted by the turns, Shadz had the laptop running. The satellite phone setting gave him clear signal, even on the road. Tony was on his phone and Jaz on hers.
“Yes. We’re civil service. Can you hold the London flight until one of our people gets to you?” Jaz said and she paused waiting for an answer from Manchester airport security.
“Yes his name please” Tony asked the police man on the other end of the line, looking at Shadz who’s hands hovered over the laptop which was showing the airport booking system, which they had been able to access with DIC technical help.
Tony looked at his watch. Ten past ten. He prayed they’d get the name, hold the flight and get there in time.
“Talk to Chief Inspector Phelan. He’s been working with our team…” A pause. “We’re national Security.. top level… name…” Jaz looked desperately at Tony. He looked back and nodded gravely. “We’re called DIC. Our members are elite, armed and carry a diplomatic pass.” She paused and waited for an answer.
“The name is Joe Milton…” Tony exclaimed.
Shadz began scrolling the names, there it was.
“He’s booked on the ten thirty flight!” Shadz exclaimed.
“You will. Brilliant! DIC personnel will be there in about twenty minutes. Can you call the airport security and armed police to get to the plane… Okay then put me through please.” Jaz said smiling at the other two.
Cobb’s taxi driver had broken the speed limit getting to the airport, it was near enough twenty miles, but they were there by twenty past ten. Cobb overpaid the taxi driver, entered near the W H Smiths and took the lift to check in. This was the tricky bit, but he knew these pass holders were on his trail and he had a badge and plan.