“Wh-what do you want from me?”
“Jonas Pike,” I say. “Where can I find him?”
He shifts nervously in his seat, and I can see his internal dilemma of potentially cutting off his supply of drugs versus self-preservation. In the end, he heavily sighs, accepting defeat.
“I’ve only got the number for his cell,” he says, reluctantly. “I call him and he comes to me with the stuff.”
I look at Josh and give him an imperceptible nod. He whacks McCoy around the side of the head.
“Don’t be fucking lying to us, Billy!” he shouts, his British accent sounding more ‘London’ than usual.
McCoy screams and cowers on the couch with his hands up, protecting his head. “I swear! I don’t know where he is — he comes to me!”
Josh looks at me and raises an eyebrow, silently asking if I believe him. I nod again to say that I do.
“Okay, Billy,” I say. “Here’s what you’re gonna do. Call Pike, arrange a delivery for tonight.”
His face changes from fear to concern as he frowns at me. “B-but I only got some the other day,” he says. “I don’t need any more and he knows that. He’ll suspect something if I ring him again now.”
I take a Beretta from my back and regard it in my hand for a moment, taking my time, putting on a show for McCoy’s benefit. Then I aim it at him.
“I’m sure you’ll think of something,” I say with a cold smile.
His already pale face turns ghost-white and his eyes flick back and forth between Josh and me. He sighs again and reaches into his pocket, taking out his phone.
As he starts to dial, I say, “And please don’t get any silly ideas about saying something to him to warn him off, as I will absolutely shoot you in the face. We clear?”
He nods enthusiastically and continues dialing. The call is answered after a moment.
“Hey, Jonas, it’s Billy. I need another kilo tonight… I know, but I’m throwin’ a party, man — some girls wanna have a good time… Uh-huh… I know, I’ve got the cash on me… You’re a life-saver, Jonas… See you in an hour.”
He hangs up and throws the phone down next to him on the couch.
“There,” he says. “You happy now?”
“I sure am,” I reply with a humorless smile. “Tell me, does he make deliveries on his own?”
He shrugs. “Usually, yeah.”
“Good.” I look up. “Josh…” On cue, Josh drags McCoy to his feet by his neck. “Your part’s nearly over, Billy,” I explain. “Don’t worry. You just gotta get Jonas through your door when he gets here, then you’re done.”
“Okay,” he says.
“Until then…”
Josh punches him in the stomach, then again on the side of the head, sending McCoy crashing to the floor, out cold.
“You have a plan, I’m guessing?” he asks me.
“Not really. Just gonna see what happens when Pike turns up.”
“Oh, excellent — there’s nothing like being prepared…”
I smile as I re-holster my gun. “…and this is nothing like being prepared!”
8
The hour passed quickly enough. McCoy has regained consciousness and has started whining again. Sadly, I can’t knock him out a second time, because I need him to greet Jonas and get him in the house.
For this next part, Josh is the man inside. The plan is that once McCoy has let Pike in, Josh will close the door behind them, and I’ll walk in through the back. Then we’ll have ourselves a nice little chat…
I’ve gone out of the front door and walked around the side of the house. I’m crouched behind some bushes that separate McCoy’s house from his neighbor’s. I take a Beretta out and wait. I’m completely calm, focused and highly motivated. God help anyone who gets in my way. I already have a clear vision of how I intend getting to Trent, and I know that I’m on the right track going through Jonas Pike to get to him. All those years of guilt and worry, and when it all comes down to it, getting Trent is going to be a piece of cake. I can feel it.
A few minutes pass, then a car pulls up outside McCoy’s house; an old, black sedan, with tinted windows and brand new rims, which have no business being on a car that ancient. The passenger door opens and a man steps out. I can’t make out too many features in the dark from this distance, but he’s possibly my height — just over six feet, with a slim build and very bad fashion sense. He has ridiculously baggy jeans on with boots and a huge coat that could’ve fit three people in it. To round off the look of a complete asshole, he has a baseball cap worn with the peak raised very high, to the point where it’s almost falling off the back of his head.
This poses a problem. Not only am I going to have to talk to that idiot, but he’s not alone — there’s clearly someone else in the car, behind the wheel. I take the silencer out of my pocket and screw it into place. I’m going to have to improvise, and be quick about it.
I watch as the man I figure for Jonas Pike makes his way to the front door and knocks on. After a moment, McCoy sticks his head out and looks around. Not seeing me, he gestures Pike into the house and the door closes again.
Showtime.
Staying in a low crouch, I make my way slowly out from behind the bushes and to the street, pausing for a second in the driver’s blind spot. Happy he’s not seen me, I rush up to the driver’s door, quickly yank it open and fire two rounds into the driver — both chest shots, so as to minimize any mess in the car. I close the door again as quietly as possible and stand still to see if I’ve attracted any attention. I wait thirty seconds and, confident no one’s heard anything, make my way back down the side of the house and around to the back door. I quietly open it and step inside to the kitchen, closing it gently behind me.
I walk straight through and into the hallway, facing the front door. Josh comes walking out of the living room to meet me, frowning with concern.
“What’s up?” I ask, sensing his mood.
“We have a… situation,” he says, beckoning me to follow him.
We enter the room, and I see two unconscious bodies on the floor.
“Seems to me the situation has already been handled?” I say with a smile.
“That guy there,” says Josh, pointing to the man who just entered the house. “That’s not Pike.”
Oh, shit…
“What?” I say with heavy sigh.
“As soon as he came in, McCoy was on edge. I made my presence known and soon discovered that Pike’s sitting out front. Which means we’ve gotta get this guy outta here and Pike inside without him realizing and taking off to tell Trent.”
I fall silent, running everything through my mind. Things have all just gone terribly wrong…
“I think we might have another situation…” I say, finally.
Josh raises an eyebrow. “What’ve you done?” he asks, knowing from experience what it tends to mean when I say that.
I sigh again, rubbing my temples and forehead with my hand as I grimace at my rookie mistake. “I shot the driver before I came in the house.”
“Oh, bollocks…”
“I never thought that Pike wouldn’t be the one to come inside…”
“So you’ve just killed our only solid lead into Trent’s organization…” he says.
“Looks that way,” I say with a slight shrug. I nod toward the body on the floor. “Reckon we can get anything out of this guy?”
“Let’s hope so, otherwise we’re up shit creek without a paddle.”
“Nicely put.”
McCoy starts to stir; emitting a low groan as he slowly moves on the floor, consciousness drifting over him once again. Josh walks over and drags him over to the couch, slapping his face to wake him up.
“Hey! Billy!” he shouts.