fired off an entire magazine indiscriminately into the wood. Let them deal with that.
CHAPTER 26
‘HE’S GOT THEM killing each other. It’s pandemonium down there,’ said Tremain. He stood in the reception hall of the great home with the two other organisers, the crackle of gunfire reaching them through the open front door. Curtis and Boyd had been hoping things would somehow sort themselves out. Tremain’s expression told them nothing could be further from the truth.
‘We’ve got to evacuate,’ insisted the MI5 man. ‘This guy won’t stop. He’s got a job to do and he won’t stop until it’s done. I’ve seen him in action – he’s a fucking machine. You have to know when to withdraw, gentlemen, and that time is now.’
Boyd was dancing from foot to foot. ‘Come on, Curtis, let’s go.’
‘We still have our security,’ said Curtis. Even so, he was checking his own weapon.
‘Get her in here,’ said Tremain. ‘You’re going to need her with you.’
‘She’s our bargaining chip. He’ll have to surrender,’ Curtis replied.
‘For Christ’s sake,’ snarled Tremain, ‘you’re past the point where you can win this. All you can do is hope to get out alive. Go for the chopper. I’ll take a Land Rover.’
His walkie-talkie squawked. ‘Quarry spotted. He’s coming your way.’
‘Well, stop him then!’ snarled Tremain, but he knew threats and commands were useless now. If the security men had any sense, they’d be steering clear of Shelley. There were too many bodies and not enough accountability. There was no reason to die here. No reason at all.
‘Claire, bring her through,’ called Curtis over his shoulder.
A door opened. Through it came Claire. She had changed and wore an evening gown, complete with a long slit to the thigh. She wore an expression of concern, something that didn’t come easily to her. By her side, cuffed with cable ties, was Lucy.
‘What’s going on?’ asked Claire.
‘We’re fucked, is what’s going on,’ said Tremain.
Lucy’s silence and calmness had been unnerving the Quarry men, but when she heard Tremain speak, she looked sharply at him. ‘You’re the one on the phone,’ she said.
‘So?’ said Tremain.
‘You gave the order to shoot Frankie.’
‘What’s this, Tremain?’ asked Curtis. Even in their moment of defeat he seemed intrigued.
‘We had to shoot the dog,’ explained Tremain.
‘He’ll kill you for that, you know,’ said Lucy.
Tremain spoke into his walkie-talkie. ‘Start up. Curtis and Boyd are coming, plus the woman.’
From outside the sound of the helicopter engine intensified.
‘I’ll be in touch,’ Tremain said to Curtis and Boyd, and then to Claire, ‘Let’s go.’
From outside came the clatter of gunfire.
Shelley was getting closer.
CHAPTER 27
IN THE REAR-VIEW mirror of the Land Rover he’d commandeered, Shelley saw chaos spilling from the treeline and onto the lawn, as security men and players came tumbling out of the wood, wide-eyed and terrified. He saw at least one pair of men carrying a body, and security guards screaming into walkie-talkies and comms devices. A Motorola unit he’d taken from one of the guards was alive with shrieks, screams for help and appeals for calm.
But now he saw activity at the house. The rotors of the helicopter were in full spin and people were leaving in their droves. He saw men in butlers’ uniforms piling into a people carrier. Frantic techs were packing up the operations van. Land Rovers spat gravel as they hightailed it away from the parking area and hurtled down the approach road, as employees abandoned ship.
Amid the commotion, Shelley saw Tremain. The MI5 man and Claire were joining the evacuation, dashing across to a parked Land Rover. Shelley was about to alter course and stop them, when he saw the figures of Curtis and Boyd appear on the steps to the front door of the home. Curtis held a sidearm, Boyd held his suitcase. They were making their way to the
CHAPTER 26
‘HE’S GOT THEM killing each other. It’s pandemonium down there,’ said Tremain. He stood in the reception hall of the great home with the two other organisers, the crackle of gunfire reaching them through the open front door. Curtis and Boyd had been hoping things would somehow sort themselves out. Tremain’s expression told them nothing could be further from the truth.
‘We’ve got to evacuate,’ insisted the MI5 man. ‘This guy won’t stop. He’s got a job to do and he won’t stop until it’s done. I’ve seen him in action – he’s a fucking machine. You have to know when to withdraw, gentlemen, and that time is now.’
Boyd was dancing from foot to foot. ‘Come on, Curtis, let’s go.’
‘We still have our security,’ said Curtis. Even so, he was checking his own weapon.
‘Get her in here,’ said Tremain. ‘You’re going to need her with you.’
‘She’s our bargaining chip. He’ll have to surrender,’ Curtis replied.
‘For Christ’s sake,’ snarled Tremain, ‘you’re past the point where you can win this. All you can do is hope to get out alive. Go for the chopper. I’ll take a Land Rover.’
His walkie-talkie squawked. ‘Quarry spotted. He’s coming your way.’
‘Well, stop him then!’ snarled Tremain, but he knew threats and commands were useless now. If the security men had any sense, they’d be steering clear of Shelley. There were too many bodies and not enough accountability. There was no reason to die here. No reason at all.
‘Claire, bring her through,’ called Curtis over his shoulder.
A door opened. Through it came Claire. She had changed and wore an evening gown, complete with a long slit to the thigh. She wore an expression of concern, something that didn’t come easily to her. By her side, cuffed with cable ties, was Lucy.
‘What’s going on?’ asked Claire.
‘We’re fucked, is what’s going on,’ said Tremain.
Lucy’s silence and calmness had been unnerving the Quarry men, but when she heard Tremain speak, she looked sharply at him. ‘You’re the one on the phone,’ she said.
‘So?’ said Tremain.
‘You gave the order to shoot Frankie.’
‘What’s this, Tremain?’ asked Curtis. Even in their moment of defeat he seemed intrigued.
‘We had to shoot the dog,’ explained Tremain.
‘He’ll kill you for that, you know,’ said Lucy.
Tremain spoke into his walkie-talkie. ‘Start up. Curtis and Boyd are coming, plus the woman.’
From outside the sound of the helicopter engine intensified.
‘I’ll be in touch,’ Tremain said to Curtis and Boyd, and then to Claire, ‘Let’s go.’
From outside came the clatter of gunfire.
Shelley was getting closer.
CHAPTER 27
IN THE REAR-VIEW mirror of the Land Rover he’d commandeered, Shelley saw chaos spilling from the treeline and onto the lawn, as security men and players came tumbling out of the wood, wide-eyed and terrified. He saw at least one pair of men carrying a body, and security guards screaming into walkie-talkies and comms devices. A Motorola unit he’d taken from one of the guards was alive with shrieks, screams for help and appeals for calm.
But now he saw activity at the house. The rotors of the helicopter were in full spin and people were leaving in their droves. He saw men in butlers’ uniforms piling into a people carrier. Frantic techs were packing up the operations van. Land Rovers spat gravel as they hightailed it away from the parking area and hurtled down the approach road, as employees abandoned ship.
Amid the commotion, Shelley saw Tremain. The MI5 man and Claire were joining the evacuation, dashing across to a parked Land Rover. Shelley was about to alter course and stop them, when he saw the figures of Curtis and Boyd appear on the steps to the front door of the home. Curtis held a sidearm, Boyd held his suitcase. They were making their way to the
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