As they drove back, Sally said how her day had gone, she had loved the firearms part, the classroom part she wasn’t too keen on, but if it had to be done, she would do it. Her arms ached, she had thought playing tennis would have given her enough strength, but she was using her muscles differently. She was still sore on Saturday morning, playing tennis made her arms worse. Dave checked his emails, only one from Marius, he noted the contents in a word document. He was sure more information would come in over the weekend. He was back at his desk in MI5 on Monday, he carried on with the case work, he neither saw nor heard from Jane Goodley. On the train back Sally phoned to say there was a much longer email from Marius. He was tempted to look, but decided to wait until he could see it on his laptop. He was picked up at the station, Sally said dinner would be ready within minutes of them being home. It was all in the oven, as he changed, Sally plated up the meal, they sat at the kitchen table with two glasses of lager. Dave could see she was itching to tell him something. “What is it, I can tell you want to say something?” “Tomorrow we have an appointment with a bathroom designer, he is coming to see what can be done in the main bathroom, I want a bath big enough for the two of us. He will be here at 10:30. I thought we could use the money we have hidden round the house.” Dave nodded as he ate, in between mouthfuls he said it was a good idea. “See how it goes, if it is OK we might want him to do the en-suite later.” With the meal over and a can of lager, he headed upstairs to look at the email, “I haven’t read it, I only looked to see if there was one.” There were now two, a second had come in while they were eating. They read them both, “does any of this make sense?” “No, it’s too early, there isn’t enough information, we will add it to the document I started yesterday, I may phone Marius in a few days to give me background on the people and places. It’s a start.”
Dave let Sally deal with the bathroom designer, he kept out the way until money was mentioned. There had been designs created on the designers laptop, Sally tweaked them until she thought they were both right, there were different tiles and bathroom suites on each design. Sally asked for them to be priced up and sent over to her. Dave asked if there was a discount for cash, he was told the preferred method was bank transfer, credit card or a finance agreement. “We want to pay cash, so may have to look at a different company. I’m sure there will be a way forward.” Sally had a call from the owner of the company later in the afternoon, he was prepared to offer a 10% discount for cash as long as there was no paperwork. She agreed, saying as soon as they had settled on a design, he could collect a deposit from them.
Dave spent the next two days Ubering, instead of sitting in cafes, he kept himself busy, Sally was looking forward to Friday, Dave wasn’t, he had his talk to give in the morning. This time it was ‘Understanding Your Brief’, it was to be about not looking for the answer the case officer wanted, but to search for the truth, no matter how much it may be unpalatable. The day passed off without any incidents, Jane Goodley didn’t sit in on his meeting. Sally suggested they book into Flemings next Thursday and Friday and have a couple of nights away.
Saturday night was spent at Michael and Olivia’s, it was their turn to host the dinner party, Sam and her partner Aaron were also there. It was a great night, after dinner, they played Cluedo, Sally thought Dave would easily win, he was rubbish at it, his accusations were never right. Sunday was spent pottering around the house, the plans for the bathroom had been agreed, the deposit paid, work should hopefully begin within four weeks. More emails had been received from Marius, but Dave couldn’t find anything to tie the pieces together. In London, sitting at his desk, he realised why he had given up his job at the MOD, this was the same as his last months before he finished. He decided when he thought Jane Goodley was more friendly, he would talk to her.
On Tuesday, he was up first, he brought Sally a coffee and handed her a card, “I didn’t know if you would buy me a card, I’ve a Valentine’s card for you as well.” It was nearly lunchtime when they were finally downstairs. “We’re going out later,” she asked where, “out,” was all Dave would say. In Leicester, he stopped outside a jewellers, “I can’t ask you to marry me and not buy you a ring, come on.” He had no idea how long the process would take. It was an hour before she had narrowed it down to five. Each one was tried on several times before two were rejected. “I’m not buying three, you have to make your mind up.” Dave was asked which one he liked. He chose a slim gold band with a solitary diamond. “That’s my favourite I think.” There was more trying on before finally, the ring was chosen. As her ring size was being checked, Dave left her to pay. The ring would be resized and ready on Saturday. There was a huge smile on Sally’s face as they walked back to the car. She suggested they stay only one night in London and travel back on Friday. Dave hadn’t prepared anything for his presentation, he decided to have a question and answer session instead. They dined in the hotel on Thursday evening, Friday’s were now a routine, again there was no sign of Jane Goodley, Dave suspected she was avoiding him. In the jewellers on Saturday morning, his phone rang, he ignored it, it rang again, he still didn’t answer it, Sally’s started, she switched it off without looking at it. She concentrated on the ring, looking at it on her finger from all different angles, when she had decided the fit was correct, Dave asked for it to be put in a box, Sally wanted to wear it now. Dave said no. His phone was ringing again. He thanked the assistant in the jewellers and they left. “Who the fuck is that on the phone.” Dave took out his phone to look, “Jane Goodley from her mobile, she will have to wait.” He switched his phone off. He drove home, in the fridge was a bottle of champagne, he popped the cork, poured two glasses and with the ring in his hand he asked Sally again if she would marry him. Tears were pouring down her face, she was nodding, she couldn’t speak. He slipped the ring on her finger and kissed her. They sat in the lounge drinking the champagne, Sally wanted to go upstairs, Dave said they would do later. They were startled by a knock at the door, Dave looked out before he went to answer it. “Police, what do they want?” “Tell them to fuck off.” Dave opened the door, “David Stretton?” “Why?” “Are you David Stretton?” “This could go on all day, why do you want to know?” “I have been sent round to find him.” “OK it’s me.” He was asked for proof of identity. On seeing his driving licence, he took out his notebook, “you have to call Ms. Jane Goodley immediately you receive this message, do you understand?” “Yes, thank you.” He closed the door, “What does she want?” “I guess the only way I will find out is to call her. I would change, I think we will be going out soon, will you get the Glocks.” “Where have you been, I’ve tried to call you many times, your phone is switched off,” “I was collecting an engagement ring. I’m only doing office work for you now, it appears my other skills were no longer required.” Sally was now changed and beside him, he put the phone on speaker so she could hear the conversation. “Well, they are needed now, a policeman was shot and killed early this morning during a raid, two others were badly injured, I think the weapons used were from Liverpool. I am on my way to Birmingham now, I want you there this afternoon, bring all the information you have, I’ll send you over the location where we are to meet. David, I may have got it wrong this time.” “We will leave in around fifteen minutes, have a police car ready at junction ten on the M42 to blue light us to the destination, we will be there in around forty minutes.” Sally followed Dave as he went upstairs, she collected the laptop, as he changed, from the backpack, he put on his holster, Sally did the same, the Glocks would be hidden under their jackets. “Dave I want you to be careful, don’t take any risks.” He took a couple of bananas and apples as he left, he now had the address, he put it in the satnav and set off. Nearing junction ten, he moved into the inside lane, a traffic car was sitting at the end of the slip road, he flashed his headlights and moved back to the outside lane, the police car, came past him in the middle lane, he pulled in front of Dave, the speed increased to over one hundred miles an hour, blue lights were flashing, the siren warning other drivers to move out the way, Dave stayed with the police, never more than a couple of car lengths behind. They slowed down as the traffic increased towards the city centre, the destination was West Midlands Police Headquarters. Dave followed them in through the gates. One of the policemen showed them the way to reception, Dave thanked them. The girl behind the desk was expecting them, passes had been prepared. They were taken up to the tenth floor, led along a corridor and into a meeting room. Jane Goodley was already there, sitting opposite her was the Chief Constable, a uniformed policeman was next to him. Dave saw a large TV screen ready for a Zoom meeting. Introductions were made, Sally poured coffee for herself and Dave. She sat at the end of the table, found a plug for the laptop and switched it on. A few minutes later, she motioned for Dave to join her, another email had come in from Marius, he studied it before asking Sally to transfer it to the word document. “Try to make sense of it, I think I know what it means, email him back, say I might have to call him.” Dave returned to his place, “sorry about that, I have had a little more information come in.” The screen lit up, the Home Secretary appeared. Jane was in charge, “may we begin,” the uniformed policeman, Dave and Sally introduced themselves. Jane asked the policeman to recount the events from earlier. “Eight armed officers from the tactical support group raided a house at 04:00, warnings had been shouted, as the rear door was being smashed, several shots were fired through the door, one policeman was shot in the leg, fire wasn’t returned as there was no target. The same was happening at the front, the door gave way easily, the first policeman inside was shot in the face, he died instantly, the shooter was injured by the next policeman through the door. Upstairs a third policeman sustained a shot to his arm, the gunmen were overpowered. The house was secured, a search didn’t identify any further weapons, money and drugs were recovered.” The Home Secretary expressed his condolences for the dead officer, Dave wanted to know where the guns now were. “Downstairs being held as evidence.” Can they be brought up here, I would like to examine them. The officer looked towards his boss, the Chief Constable nodded. Dave waited until he had left, “that didn’t go down very well, one dead and two injured, for what? Can someone give Sally the address of the house raided?” Jane Goodley looked through notes she had and read out the address, “Find out who owns the house and who pays the utility bills.” Turning towards the others and the Home Secretary on the screen, “why are we here?” He wasn’t in a mood to mess about. “If you are asking for my assistance, then I am in charge, we do things my way.” The Home Secretary said that wasn’t going to happen, he was there to advise and nothing else. “So, I’ve ruined one of the most important days of my life to ‘advise’, I could have sat at home doing that.” Sally called him to look at the screen, “check to see if the addresses match the information already in the file.” He was asked what he was doing, “checking, tying bits of information together.” The policeman had returned with three evidence bags, without taking them out it was easy for Dave to see they had all come from the stolen weapons. “These are from Liverpool,” he was interrupted by his phone ringing. “Hi, be careful what you say, I am in police headquarters in a meeting. Yes, yes, I know, we are discussing it at the moment. Find out what you can, I will call you with an address shortly, I might want it checking out. No, your safe.” “Who was that?” this time it was the Chief Constable, “a concerned member of the public.” There was a demand to know more, Dave sat silently staring ahead. “Would you leave us please, the next part doesn’t concern you, we will call you back in if required.” Dave knew exactly what was about to be discussed. He and Sally, who had brought the laptop, sat outside the room, she fiddled with her new ring. “This is turning out to be a shit day.” “We could be on our way home soon, however, the longer they are talking the more chance there is of us being involved.” Fifty minutes later they were called back in. Sitting down, it was the head of MI5 who spoke, “We want you to advise the police on how to retrieve the weapons, you are not to be involved in their recovery.” “So, if it goes pear shaped, I get the blame, no thank you, I don’t work that way.” The only alternative is you accompany the police, but take no part and are unarmed.” “Sally, pack up, we might still have time to have a meal out tonight.” He stood up to leave, he saw Sally closing the laptop. “David, please sit down, I told them you would only take part if you were in control, they wanted me to try the other options first.” “I want written authority now to allow Miss Fellowes and myself to carry weapons. Home Secretary you need to do that now, Chief Constable, I want it in writing, I am in charge, any of your officers assigned to assist me must understand I will be giving the orders. Once I have these, we will start. I will need firearms trained officers, preferably ones who have pulled a trigger in the line of duty, I will let you know how many later.” Jane Goodley’s phone pinged with a message, “You have your authority.” For the first time he took off his jacket, his Glock was tucked into it’s holster, the Chief Constable was about to say something, but checked himself. He looked again when Sally took her coat off. “Have you two been sitting like that all the time?” “Yes, we came prepared.” The Zoom call was over, the screen was now blank. The Chief Constable wanted to know what Dave’s plan was, once I have your letter, coffee and biscuits I will start planning. I will be using other resources for background, who they are is private. I need someone who can make things happen, do you have anyone?” The policeman was sent off, a few minutes later a friendly looking woman entered the room, her name badge read Sandra. “Which of you is Mr. Stretton?” “I am, my name is Dave, this is Sally, there is nothing at the moment, but once we get started it will get busy.” “I have the name of the owner who also pays the utility bills and council tax. Stanley Fredericks.” “Check his police record, does he live at the same address.” He stood up and looked out the window over the Birmingham skyline as he made the next call. “Yes, it’s me. The vans reported moving stuff, I want to find out where they went and what was in them, start phoning round get the others involved, I want the info as soon as you have it, email whatever you find out. The drop off address is most important” Coffee and biscuits arrived, Sandra went round asking what everyone wanted. Marius had the address within twenty minutes, green and grey wooden boxes had been seen being carried into the house. “I want pictures of the house front and back, I’m sure you can sort it out amongst yourselves, send people who fit in with the area.” Sandra, can you find plans of this address, you might have to look through estate agents websites to find it, when you have it, print it out as large as you can, I want to use it as a plan.” “Dave, theft, drug dealing, violence and controlling prostitutes, aged forty five, I need a printer,” “put it on a stick, give it to Sandra, hopefully she can print it out.” Sandra brought the plans through, “I had to go over it to make it stand out. It lost clarity when it was enlarged.” Dave laid out the plans on the desk, it was a two storey Victorian terraced house with a cellar. The weapons Dave suspected would be in the cellar or on the ground floor. Unless this was to be a permanent move, he didn’t think they would go to the effort of taking them upstairs. “Sally can you look at the address on street view, see what’s around the front and the back.” He returned to the plan, it was a typical layout inside, front door into the living room, door from there into the dining room, kitchen at the rear. Stairs to first floor from the dining room. On the first floor, the back bedroom is now a bathroom, two bedrooms one with no window, the other looking onto the street. “Dave, there is a tiny garden to the front, a low wall then the street. On the other side of the road, a little further down are a chicken shop and a pizza shop. The road looks busy. Either side of the house they are all residential. There are pictures coming in now, do you want me to pass them on to Sandra?” “Yes, hopefully we can get some information from them. All through this the Chief Constable and Jane Goodley had been sitting watching Dave, both had differing opinions as to how he was doing. He called Marius again, I need a burglar, I want him in the chicken shop or the pizza place. See if there is an alarm system and if so, how to set it off when the shop is shut.” “Jane Goodley could see an objection coming but waved her hand to over-rule the Chief. Dave looked at the plan for another five minutes. “OK, I have it,” turning to the Chief Constable, I want four firearms officers, no one from the team this morning or friends of the dead officer. We will go in around 02:00.” “Would you explain to me exactly what you intend to do.” “We will go in the back door, capture anyone on the ground floor, then do the same upstairs, find the weapons and hand them over to you.” “And what if anyone resists arrest?” “It’s simple, if they point a gun at anyone of us, they will be shot, no warnings, not shot to wound, they will be shot dead.” The room fell silent. “You cannot do that, we are the police, we have a duty.” “Banging on the door shouting police, is only going to have more of your officers shot. These are people who don’t care about life, you can’t pussyfoot about, go in and go in hard. Of course, if there is no trouble, no one will be hurt, but you have to be prepared. I don’t want to shoot anyone, but if a gun is aimed at me, there will only be one outcome.” Reluctantly four officers were organised. With them in the room, it would be too small. Everyone moved to a larger briefing room on the second floor.
© 10210ken 2025
