The electric shocks were powerful and with the pads over two of his Chakra points, or nerve centres, the pain was immense, surging through him almost blotting out all thought.
There were three such shocking surges and Stanton sat writhing in the chair for half a minute before he felt the pain die down.
“Now about DIC and all you know please or there’ll be more of that.”
“What do you want with DIC?”
“They’re an inconvenience. They came close when your friend Spencer did a little job for me and they cause no end of trouble. Only the PM, Home Office Minister and the Queen, oh and some of the royal family, know who the head person is. We know about their existence, but we don’t know where they are and how much coverage they’ve got, which is pretty damned annoying when you’re trying to change things in your own favour through underhanded means, which you can imagine is what I do. Your friend Spencer, who used to work for me, was nearly caught by them when we did for Robert Cole. Right now we’re trying, with the help of a certain Mr Robinson, Cole’s replacement, no coincidence, to get rid of them for good. Then we’ll be free of their meddling influences and sticking their ‘tuppence’ in every time we want to make a change.”
“I see, if that’s all why didn’t you say? Let me go and I’ll tell you everything I found out.” Sternway smiled a crocodile smile.
“That’s what I love about mercenaries Joe so easy to get round to your way of thinking. Yes we’ll let you go; in fact well we’ll help you go. I don’t want you getting caught.”
Stanton gave them details about the building, what he’d seen on the computer. Telford drew a sketch from Stanton’s description of the lobby. Stanton had seen names for floors on the disk and assumed the boss, Fulton, was on the top floor. He told them about the cameras in the building.
He made up fake facts about security from having seen the foyer and finally told them about how he’d got the badge and what was in the loft in Dover and Bill’s house in Westminster. When he was finished Sternway smiled.
“Well done Trevor you know you really are quite the most dangerous man I’ve ever met and…” He was interrupted by a phone ringing. Sternway took the orange coloured Bic cell phone from his inside jacket pocket. “Yes. We’re just about ready… within the next hour.”
He rang off and put the phone in his jacket again. He suddenly patted his left jacket pocket and looked at Stanton.
“The green Bic cell phone?”
“Coat.” Stanton nodded with his head in the direction of the table.
Telford emptied the pockets. There was the lime green cell phone and a DIC pass. He picked up the pass and shoulder holster with the Sig 220.
“Well goodbye Trevor. I’m sure we won’t meet again.”
Sternway left the room, Joe and Brook followed and Telford left after checking the ropes on Stanton.
Downstairs Sternway gave his instructions to Telford who left on what was to be a tricky mission. Sternway told Joe and Brook what to do and left for home.
Upstairs Stanton knew he was going to be killed. They were down stairs arranging it, he couldn’t hear what they were saying, but he could hear the voices. He wiggled the chair, it was quite old. His hands were tied to the upright struts and his legs to the legs of the chair. Stanton bunched his muscles and tightened them. He balanced the chair on the two back legs, tipping the chair back and bounced slightly, but heavily, trying to avoid noise. There was a sharp crack from the two back legs. They must have heard because the front door opened and closed and there were hurried feet on the stairs.
With the legs bent inwards at the back Stanton bounced and sat on the chair heavily. The back legs gave way and the front legs snapped as he sat down. Stanton quickly stood up legs free, even if the front chair legs were still tied to his shins. He ran backwards, using his toes to counteract the low level of his trousers, at the closed door with all his might, bracing himself for the pain on his arms. Just as Brook and Joe arrived at the door and pushed it Stanton hit it and the chair back broke away from the seat and at the same time preventing the men from entering. Stanton wiggled free from the back of the chair, braced against the door. With his hands free instinct kicked in and he stepped to one side as three shots perforated the door panels where he had been standing.
Brook kicked the door in and stepped into the room. Stanton was behind the door and kicked it into Brook, stepped around grabbed Brook’s gun hand, extended into the room, slammed his hand into Brook’s elbow crook, grabbing the gun hand and pushing the revolver under Brook’s chin. Stanton got his finger to the trigger. A single shot slammed up through Brook’s chin, passed through his skull and embedded in the ceiling. Stanton wrenched the pistol from Brook’s grip.
Joe had left his gun in the black Jaguar under the seat. He ran down the stairs to the front door, but a single shot from Stanton at the top of the stairs hit him in the small of the back paralysing him and he slumped into the door, no power in his legs.
Stanton did up his trousers. He carried Joe into the room upstairs in a fireman’s lift and dropped him on the floor. Brook was on his knees groaning and twitching, alive but half brain dead. Stanton walked over and shot him point blank in the chest with the last chamber of the revolver. Brook collapsed, twitching; falling in front of Joe’s terrified eyes.
Stanton stripped Joe’s jacket and shirt off and put them on. They were a tight fit, but better than his split T Shirt. Stanton gathered up the electrical equipment and sat down next to Joe.
“You’re going to give me a lot of useful information. I’ve got all night. We won’t bother with anything below the waist, but if you tell me what I want to know I swear I’ll leave you alive.” He tapped Joe’s head with his forefinger. “Let’s see what in that head of your shall we.”
He attached the pads.
Joe fought as hard as he could, but knowing he was paralysed weakened his resolve. He took half an hour to break down with the pain and when he did Stanton had all the information he needed.
As promised he left Joe alive, but he didn’t call an ambulance and he didn’t intend to. It was seven in the evening when Stanton left the house with a loaded revolver, a silenced nine millimetre Browning and the keys to a Nissan Micra, which he quickly found.
London Euston tower
7-10 p.m.
April 19th
Ellie leaned into the proffered kiss from Tony. They were in the shared kitchens of the duty teams in Euston Tower. Ellie decided that on their last day of duty rota she would cook Tony dinner. There was a casserole dish in the oven and the smell of Coq Au Vin permeated the room.
Tony broke away from the tender and soft kiss first.
“That was nice. Do that again.”
Ellie kissed him again, longer this time and more passionately. There was a cough from the doorway. They broke from their embrace suddenly. It was Jack Fulton.
“Sorry to bother you two. I’ve got a bit of a problem.”
“Yes boss.”
“Liam was in the duty office and David was talking angrily about Sternway. Liam thought nothing of it, but David went to get a cup of tea and decryption called to tell David that his five minute access to the MI6 network was ready. Liam said he went to get some dinner and when he came back David was looking at details on Sternway. Then David grabbed his coat and left. Liam said he was still armed”
Tony and Ellie showed their concern.
“Any idea where he is?” Tony asked.
“That’s the thing our DIC listener at Sternway’s house has just phoned to say that David McKie is parked in a car across the road from Sternway’s house.”
Ellie put her hand to her mouth in shock.
“I think he’s very worked up. I want you two to go and talk him round. You and he get on well Ellie and Tony has experience in talking people ‘down’ if you know what I mean.” They both nodded.