Dave watched the car drive off, he pulled on his balaclava pulled down only as far as his forehead, it looked like a woolly hat. He reminded the chief inspector to say nothing, “Listen only, I will call you in when I’m ready, make sure there is an ambulance here.” He walked up the road carrying the clipboard. The headphones couldn’t be seen, the microphone he tucked behind his ear. Near the entrance, he undid the zip on his coat enough for him to reach his Glock. He made a show of standing in the entrance to the scrapyard, then looking at his clipboard, he had seen both the rear doors slightly open on the car a few yards further up. “Get ready.” Dave walked up to the doorway, it was a pair of double doors, glass with a wooden frame. One leaf had a metal plate, ‘PUSH’, he pushed, the door was locked, a head looked up from behind the desk. It was followed by an arm waving him away. Dave pointed to the logo on his jacket and mouthed ‘Thames Water’, the arm was brought up again waving him away. He stood there waiting, now he was mouthing ‘water leak’. The man behind the desk stood up, Dave saw the butt of a gun stuck in the top of his trousers. He wondered why people thought it was the best place for a gun. If it goes off accidently, bang goes your wedding tackle, plus it’s awkward to pull out in a hurry. The man was in his fifties, thin, but strong, around six inches shorter than Dave. He told Dave to fuck off. Through the door Dave said there was a water leak and he was investigating it, he needed to access the premises to check. “Fuck off, there’s no leak here,” Dave took a step back but remained looking at the man. It was now a war of nerves, Dave knew he would win. Eventually the key was turned in the lock, the door was pulled open, “what part of fuck off don’t you understand?” “I have to check for a leak, it will only take a few minutes.” This time the man moved towards Dave, his intention was to push him away. Sally and Brick had heard the conversation. The car doors were now wide open. Dave guessed what was about to happen, he waited for the man to come closer, it had to be silent and it had to be quick. His arms were coming up for the push, Dave hit him with his right fist on the side of his head, at the same time, he caught him as he was falling, “Now,” within seconds he was joined by the other two, Brick helped Dave carry him to the side of the building, his gun was pulled out from his trousers. Sally’s gun was pointing at his head. “Make a noise and your dead, understand?” There was a nod, “Bind his hands and feet,” Brick took two cable ties and made sure they were tight. “I want information, your life depends on it, you will be killed if you lie,” another nod. “Where is the woman?” “Upstairs,” “how many up there?” “Three,” “Which room, how many doors along, remember your life depends on the right answer?” There was a pause, “Third door,” “how many more?” “Four in a room on the ground floor,” Where?” “Second door on the left,” “armed?” There was a nod of confirmation. “Use another cable tie to keep him quiet,” Brick had the cable tie, but wasn’t sure what to do. Dave looked at the man, “open your mouth,” he put the plastic in his mouth and joined it at the back of his head, he pulled it tight causing him to gag. Dave looked to Sally, “we’ll be back in a few minutes for him, shoot him if he struggles.” They crept back round to the door, Dave went first, still with the coat on. Seeing no one he quickly dumped it. He pushed the door open, “I’ll go in first, if anyone points a gun, shoot them, Dave took out and fixed a silencer onto his Glock. He opened the first door in case he had been lied to. Standing outside the second door, he listened, there were voices. He pulled down his balaclava, he signalled to Brick he was about to go in. His gun was ready. Dave opened the door and walked in, Brick was behind him and moved to the side as soon as they were in. Looking round Dave saw four people sitting on chairs, relaxing and talking. “Make a noise or move and you will die.” One didn’t believe Dave, he picked up the gun in front of him, he was shot in the chest and slumped back in his chair. “Hands on heads,” there was instant obedience. “Bind their hands,” Dave made each one stand, he took their weapons and checked for anything hidden. “Stand up all of you, move over here,” he indicated a clear area on the floor. “Sit down, lean against each other,” He indicated for their ankles and wrists to be tied. He took two cable ties and joined them to make a longer one. Dave fastened it round the three necks and pulled it tight enough to prevent any of them trying to move. He went outside to bring in the one Sally was guarding, Dave dragged him in and left him near the other three. “Quiet,” there was movement upstairs, someone was walking along a corridor.
Upstairs, Jane heard a knock at the door, it was answered by a voice she hadn’t heard, a third voice was saying there was a lot of noise downstairs. She heard Sir George, “go downstairs and tell the fuckers to shut up.” She heard the same footsteps Dave did.
He moved to the bottom of the stairs and waited where he couldn’t be seen. He could hear the footsteps on the stairs. He took out his knife, Dave waited until he had passed him, he stuck the knife in a little too hard, “Say nothing, keep walking,” he turned to try to hit Dave, he pushed the knife in further, “do you want to die?” As he was saying it, Dave turned the knife, there was no further resistance. In the room he was put next to the man from outside. Dave found an old rag, he cleaned the knife, then pushed it inside the shirt of the bleeding man. Everything stopped when they heard a shot. “Shoot anyone who moves,” Brick was standing up having just bound the last man and taken his gun. “Move, he was out the door and taking the stairs two at a time, he slowed as he reached the top.
Jane Goodley had been shot, Sir George Dawson had stood in front of her, he was aiming for the same place his son had been shot first. It missed the circle he had drawn earlier. It had still hit her, the bullet had gone through her shoulder shattering the bone.
Sally was behind him, he took out a flashbang and showed it to her, she understood. He turned the handle on the door, neither Sir George nor Tony noticed. He could hear laughing coming from inside. He rolled the flashbang into the room and turned away, his eyes were closed, his hands over his ears. He heard a shout as it went off, he pushed the door open wide, Tony was shot where he stood, both Sally and Dave had fired at him. Sir George was waving the gun around, he couldn’t see, Dave fired a shot which hit him, he fell to the floor, he was still clutching the gun. Dave could only see the back of Jane’s head, it was moving, she was alive, he charged at the chair, he didn’t know it was fixed to the floor. The floorboards cracked but didn’t give, he spun the chair round, away from Sir George. He was trying to get up, another shot rang out, it whizzed past Dave, Sally fired three shots into Sir George, one would have been enough, but she was angry, someone had tried to shoot her Dave. He looked at the naked and bleeding head of MI5, he picked up bits of her clothes to put on the wound, and cover her up. He used the knife to cut the tape from her face. Her hands and then feet were next. “Bring the hi viz coat from outside to cover Jane. Her one good arm was slid inside the jacket, Sally zipped it up, to cover her, she was now crying, Sally sat her down on a chair by the desk, was it the pain, the relief, or the realisation of what had just happened, no one knew. Dave left them upstairs, he opened the door where the prisoners were. “It’s done, one slight casualty. Thanks.” There were small unopened bottles of water in the room, he took one for himself, he handed another to Brick. “Police, listen to me, you can come up now, we need two ambulances, do not enter the building, wait outside.” Dave was standing outside drinking the water, he watched as probably a dozen police cars and an ambulance arrived, in the distance he could hear more sirens. A superintendent was the first one out of a car, “I’m in charge here, who gave you authority to wage a private war in London?” He turned to look for the chief inspector, “Have this man arrested and anyone else in the building who has assisted him.” Dave looked at him, “who the fuck do you think you are? I’m in charge here, not you, you take orders from me, not the other way round. Call the Chief Constable or the Home Secretary, I don’t give a fuck. Unless you play by my rules, no one other than the ambulance crew will be allowed in.” Two paramedics were standing next to the superintendent. “Upstairs, third door gunshot wound to the shoulder, there is another one on the ground floor with stab wounds, but he can wait. Dave was standing on his own, Sally had heard everything Dave had said, when the paramedics were with Jane, she came down the stairs to join him, he was shouting, not at anyone this time, “Can I have two firearms officers please.” Two pushed their way through the throng of police waiting outside. “Sally will show you where the prisoners are, there are a load of live weapons, shoot anyone who moves, one of your colleagues is in there at the moment.” He asked Sally to bring Brick and more water when she came back. A paramedic had come out the building then returned with a blanket. The three stood outside, Dave asked Sally if she was OK, she squeezed his hand, he pulled her balaclava part the way up her face, did the same with his and kissed her. Brick looked at them, it was Sally who spoke, “We’re partners as well.” “Fucking Hell,” Dave watched as another high up police man approached him, it was a Chief Superintendent this time. “Which of you is David Stretton?” “I am,” “I’m here to give any assistance you require. I have been made aware of the situation.” Dave gave him a brief outline of the operation, he was about to say what needed to be done next when he heard a noise behind him, Jane was standing there barefoot, a blanket wrapped round her. There was a debate about how she would get to the ambulance. Dave excused himself. He offered to carry her, she nodded. “Getting to be a habit this isn’t it, people will start talking, she smiled at him, “Get Ruth please.” As he laid her in the ambulance, he asked which hospital she would be taken to, “Charing Cross.” “There is one other to go with her.” He called Sally, go in the ambulance, I will arrange someone to take over shortly, stay with her, give me your balaclava and headset.” He kissed her again before the ambulance left. Returning to the building he asked the Chief Superintendent if there was anyone from forensics, I want no one up there until it has been photographed. Downstairs, there are five alive and one dead, one has stab wounds, they can be taken away. A uniformed officer was stationed at the bottom of the stairs, Dave, Brick and the senior officer went into the room where the men were being held. “That’s not the standard police method of detention,” “no, but it is mine, none of them were going anywhere.” More officers arrived and the ties were cut and replaced with handcuffs. They were taken away to local police stations, Brick was sent off to bring up the car they had arrived in. The Chief superintendent waited until they were alone, “who are you, your record says you live in Loughborough and drive a cab? There is nothing else, no past, nothing.” “Dave Stretton, I drive for Uber. Please don’t ask, I come and go usually unseen.” “Were you in Dagenham the other week?” “I travel around a lot.” He gave up, there wasn’t going to be an answer. “Who’s upstairs?” “Sir George Dawson and another. I will write out a report today, it will be with the Home Secretary and the Prime Minister later on. How much he passes down to the police, I don’t know.” Forensics were now upstairs, they walked up to see how they were progressing. “I’m in charge of this operation, can you copy me in on the photographs, I need them for my report.” He gave them his email address, he picked up the laptop from the desk. Brick had now returned, “there are reporters and TV cameras outside.” “They need to be cleared before we leave, the last thing I want is to be on ‘News at Ten’. The crews were moved back and told to stop filming or taking pictures. A uniformed officer reversed the Range Rover up near the door. Dave and Brick climbed in the back, there heads were down as they drove off. Half a mile away, the uniformed officer climbed out and walked back. Brick drove to MI5, Howard was waiting for them. In the armoury all the equipment apart from his Glock and Sally’s gear was handed back. He changed into the clothes he had arrived in that morning. Howard wanted information, Dave and Brick wanted food. Howard sat with them as they ate, “There is a friend of Jane’s at her house, will you send a car for her, tell her Jane isn’t very well, take her to Charing Cross Hospital, her name is Ruth. When you have done that, organise an armed guard to be sent to the hospital, Sally is there at the moment, bring her back here. We will come up and start on our reports when we have eaten.” When Howard had gone, Dave was asked how often he had to carry out operations like this, “not very often, Sally and I are only called in when needed, we work for the MOD and MI5. No more questions please.” “Can I ask who we rescued?” “That seams fair given you put your life on the line, the Head of MI5, but do not mention her in your report. Tell anyone and I will find out.”
Thirty minutes later, they were in the office Dave had been assigned. He was typing up the report, Brick was writing his, both were used to doing this, Dave knew his would take hours to complete, he was giving the background which led up to the operation today. Brick was finished long before Dave. He passed it over for him to read. “I’ll have it typed up, read through it again, if you see any errors, correct them before it is reprinted.”
© 10210ken 2025
