
It was a cold early January afternoon, Dave Stretton was driving his Uber cab back to Loughborough, he had dropped off in Nottingham city centre. It was misty and looking at the temperature on the dashboard he saw the warning light indicating that it was close to freezing. He decided to head for home, he knew his own driving capabilities but always worried about other drivers in this type of weather. His frame filled the driver’s seat, he was over six feet and broad shouldered, his years in the Army had left him with a muscular body, other than running, he didn’t need to do much to keep in shape, it was just over a year since he had left the MOD in London where he worked in a branch of Military Intelligence, his job had been to take up and investigate cases others had been unable to find a way forward. “Pass it on to Sergeant Stretton,” were the words he hated hearing. His ability to think in a different way and his unofficial hacking software, often helped him move cases forward. He was also very good at field craft, having spent some time training with the SAS. However, jaded and worn out, he decided it was time to leave. He left London and moved to Loughborough, where he stayed in a small hotel until he saw an advert for a room to rent. He moved in with Sally, a widow, a few years younger than his thirty one. They got on well, her husband had been killed in a car crash around five years ago. Starting off as a lodger, it wasn’t long before he was sharing her bed and they were a couple. He loved her, she was the only person he had ever loved. They got on well, liked the same things, but most of all, she was fun. It was only when he had been recalled to duty, he found out that she too had worked for the MOD in London as a researcher. He had wondered on many occasions if it was more than a coincidence. He had been recalled to trace a mole within his old section. S417 doesn’t appear on any MOD lists, unless you knew their number, you couldn’t contact them. His resulting investigation had exposed blackmail within many government departments, up to the highest levels. When the case had been resolved, the recall was cancelled, he was to be retained as an outside contractor by both the MOD and MI5, to investigate cases they were struggling with. Sally had helped Dave with his investigations, her security clearance had been reinstated following a vetting interview.
He was listening to the radio as he drove, the news was all about a spate of shootings in Birmingham, it was being put down to gangs settling scores, a total of seven people had been shot in the last two weeks. The news reader then moved on to the weather.
Most people on the road were crawling along, there was the occasional idiot trying to overtake, only to be then stuck behind the car in front. When he arrived home, Sally was waiting for him, “I’m glad your home, it’s shit outside, there was a crash near the university entrance, no one was hurt, but it was chaos.” “If it’s like this tomorrow, I think I will stay at home.” He didn’t need the money, the retention payments every month were the equivalent of an executive’s salary. Sally worked at the university three days a week. The Uber was Dave’s way of escaping, he didn’t need to think, he looked on it as a form of therapy.
When they had eaten, Sally was in the kitchen making coffee when she heard Dave’s phone ring, she was used to it pinging with messages, but rarely a call, they usually meant he was needed for something. There had been a message earlier, ‘I need to talk to you, urgent, can I call you, Marius?’ Dave had replied saying he was free. Marius, among other things, supplied guns, his other business interests were drugs and prostitution. Dave had used him on several occasions when he needed something special the MOD wouldn’t approve of. Sally could here only one side of the conversation. “Calm down, I can’t understand what you are saying, I’m free tomorrow, the Marriott Hotel, near the NEC, around 14:00, in the lounge, bye.” “What was that all about?” “I have a business acquaintance in Birmingham who will help me out when I need something, I suspect he is in a bit of trouble and wants some help or advice.” She looked at him, “will you start again and tell me the truth.” Dave protested, “the truth” Sally demanded. “That is mostly the truth,” “Tell me the rest of it.” “Marius is eastern European, he sells drugs and runs prostitutes, he also can supply most weapons, I have used him a few times, he thinks I work for the taxman. From what he is saying, he is worried someone is trying to muscle in on his business, there are three main underground gun suppliers, Marius says he is honourable and only sells or rents guns to other criminals and people he trusts, he won’t deal with kids who want a gun to settle a score or look big. I said I would speak to him and offer my advice, that’s all.” “You’re not getting involved in a fight between rival gangs, if that’s what he wants tell him you won’t do it.” “He has enough ‘heavies’, he doesn’t need me. I’ll go along and see what he wants.” She asked if he wanted her to come along as well, “no, he doesn’t know about you, and I want to keep it that way.” He picked up his phone again, “Trevor, it’s Dave Stretton, are you free tomorrow afternoon, £125.00 plus £25.00 for traveling expenses. I want you to meet me in the car park at the Marriott Hotel near the NEC, bring a newspaper with you.” “Who was that and what was the call about.” “Trevor is an old friend, he will be watching tomorrow to see if anyone else is interested in our meeting.” He asked Sally what she would be doing tomorrow, she only worked on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, On Tuesdays they normally did something as a couple. “We’ll have the morning together, I might ring Olivia and see if we can book the indoor tennis court for tomorrow afternoon.”
It was cold and crisp, Dave left at 12:30, it would normally only take around forty five minutes to drive to the NEC, he wanted to allow extra time in case the traffic was bad. He arrived at 13:30, he drove around the car park looking for Trevor, he found his old Fiesta parked in one of the rows, Trevor was quickly into Dave’s car, “It’s fucking cold out there.” “I thought you would be used to the cold by now.” “You never get used to it, my feet are fucked after I have been out on a job.” Trevor was an ex policeman who had been caught with his trousers down, having sex with a WPC when he should have been on a stakeout. He resigned just before his disciplinary meeting and was now working as a private detective in Leicester. “I want you to follow me inside, buy a coffee and sit at a table where you can see me. Make it obvious, look like a copper who is shit at his job, that shouldn’t be too difficult for you. Put your glasses case inside the folded newspaper and lay it on the table pointing towards me. I want the people I am visiting to think it is a gun. OK got that, when I am finished, follow me out, I will pay you in the car park.” “Can you give me £5.00 for the coffee?” “You’re a right tight bastard, you never pay for anything, you plead poverty, I bet you have thousands hidden away.” They got out the car and walked into the hotel. Looking round the lounge, it wasn’t difficult to spot Marius, He was built like Dave, however the two minders with him were huge, he knew they would be armed. One was sitting at the same table as Marius, the other was seated slightly further away, looking. Marius stood up as Dave approached, they shook hands and sat down, “would you like a coffee?” Dave nodded, the minder sitting next to him left to go to the bar. The other one came across and said there was a copper sitting at another table. “Ex-copper, he’s with me, inside the paper is a gun, if anything happens, he will shoot anyone who comes after me.” “Don’t you trust me?” “It’s not about trust, I like to be careful.” “Very wise, let’s talk. You know the setup I have, it works very well, we all get along together and other than the odd fall out every now and again, everything is friendly. I want to show you this.” He opened a file and handed Dave a printed sheet of A4 paper. “These are being passed all round the city.” It was a flyer advertising guns for sale, it offered twenty four hour delivery, guaranteed quality, no serial numbers, ammunition also available. There was a phone number to call for an immediate response. Dave looked at the list, they were all military weapons, mostly old stock, but some were current. At the bottom of the list were rocket launchers. “I know what is going to happen, first this, then they will start bringing in drugs and finally the ladies will be taken over, we will be out of business.” “My heart bleeds for you.” Drinking his coffee he was thinking. “Marius, I want you to buy a couple of pieces for me.” “I can’t buy them, they know who I am.” “Use someone you can trust, I want to find out how it all works, from ordering to delivery, I will repay whatever you have to lay out. I want a Glock 17, no ammunition and an SA80 rifle with fifty bullets.” He looked down the page again, Dave wanted a rocket launcher but not yet. “I want to know who they are and where they come from. It’s Tuesday today, hopefully they will arrive by Thursday, depending on the time, I will pick them up either Thursday evening or Friday morning. Do not tell anyone about me, I am only getting involved as this looks like old army kit. It might work out mutually beneficial. May I keep this sheet, I might want to order some more?” Marius handed it to him and stood up. “I will phone you when I have some news.” With that he left with his heavies. Dave beckoned Trevor to join him. “That all went well, I need something else, do you have anyone tame in forensics, they need to be experienced in acid etching.” Trevor had no idea what that was, Dave explained it is used to show serial numbers that have been ground off. “I’ll ask, how much is it worth?” “I’ll give you £100.00 for finding me someone and whatever the forensics guy wants, paid directly to him, knowing you, the price would double.” Trevor said he had someone in mind and would phone him later. In the car park, he handed Trevor and envelope containing £150.00.
That evening, Sally asked how the meeting had gone, “not too well, there is trouble coming to Birmingham, possibly a bit of gang warfare.” “I hope you are not involved in it.” “No, I won’t, I will be on the sidelines watching, however we might have a bit of investigating to do.” He handed the sheet Marius had given him to Sally. “If this is all MOD kit, how is it being sold on the streets?” “How indeed, the weekend might give us a bit more information.” “Don’t forget it’s our turn to host the dinner party on Saturday night,” Dave had forgotten, “This won’t interfere, Saturday night will be fine.”
On Wednesday morning, instead of going out Ubering, he spent the time in the spare bedroom, it had been converted into an office for himself and Sally, He logged on to the MOD site and began trawling, he was looking for any mention of weapons going missing, He knew the MOD lost thousands of bits of equipment every year, but weapons were tightly controlled. There was nothing, he searched through files and reports from his old section, S417 would have been the group charged with finding out about missing weapons, there was nothing anywhere. He was still looking when Sally came in from work. “Working?” was all she said, “Yes, there is no mention of missing kit anywhere.” “Maybe it’s a scam to get money?” “I don’t think so, but we will find out soon.”
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