Captives

ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHT

The sound of the discharge reverberated inside the apartment for what seemed like an eternity.

It mingled with Carol's scream.

She had seen Scott lift the gun and point it at her, their eyes locked for precious seconds, then she had seen his head burst as the 9mm bullet had hit it, pulverising his forehead.

Frank Gregson stood in the doorway, the Taurus automatic still aimed at Scott, as if he feared the man would move again.

Carol looked at Scott, then at the policeman.

Tears were still coursing down her cheeks.

'He would have killed you,' Gregson said, walking into the room, glancing at Plummer's body. 'Just like he killed the others.' He looked at Plummer once more. 'He was a madman. He wanted revenge.' Gregson nudged Plummer's body with the toe of his shoe. 'He did me a favour, though. Getting rid of Plummer.' The DI smiled. 'I just didn't want you to get hurt.'

'What difference would it have made to you?' she wanted to know.

'A lot of difference,' he said, his smile fading. 'I care what happens to you very much. I have done ever since I first arrested you.' He sat down on the edge of the chair, looking down at her. 'That's why I called you.'

Carol looked vague.

'What are you talking about?' she wanted to know. 'The phone calls,' he said. 'I called you at your home, at work, even here.'

'Oh God,' she murmured.

'I hated to think of you with men like Plummer and Scott,' he said. 'You deserved better than that. I wanted you to know I was watching you. I wouldn't have let anything happen to you.'

'You were the anonymous caller,' she blurted, everything now beginning to drop into place with appalling clarity.

'I didn't just ring you,' he said. 'Who do you think tipped Plummer off about that cocaine shipment?'

'But why?' she wanted to know.

'Plummer was too powerful. The gang's in London had taken over,' Gregson said angrily. 'They were running things. Men like Plummer and Connelly. Scum. Criminals and fucking murderers.' He spat out the words vehemently. 'I wanted a gang war, I wanted them to wipe each other out. To save us the trouble of trying to arrest them. Getting them to court on charges we knew would never stick. That's what we've been doing for years. The police are fighting a losing battle against men like Plummer and Connelly. I knew the only way was to use force but I can't do that, my responsibility to the community says I can't. I couldn't stop them. So I realised I'd have to make them stop each other. Kill each other. Wipe each other off the face of the fucking earth. That's why I tipped Plummer off about Connelly's shipment; I knew he'd take it because he was greedy. I knew if he took it Connelly would never stand for it. I knew there would be war, and there would have been. I would have won. The fucking law would have won for a change.' He sucked in a deep breath. 'Well, now it's all over. Now you're not tied to him anymore. You're free.'

'Am I supposed to thank you?' she said softly.

'Perhaps,' he said, smiling thinly.

'Why did you have to do this to Jim?' she wanted to know.

'Plummer set him up, not me.'

'And if Plummer hadn't?'

Gregson shrugged.

'Then I'd have got rid of him some other way,' he said.

'You're insane,' she said quietly.

'The whole fucking world is insane,' he said wearily.

'What about me? What happens to me now? You've told me everything. I know about you and what you've done. You're the evil one. You would have let dozens of men kill each other. You let Scott die for no reason. And I know it all.'

'Who's going to believe you?' he said, smiling.

'No one,' she said quietly.

'You're mine when I want you now,' Gregson told her.

'And there isn't a thing you can do about it.' He smiled.

'No,' she said. 'I suppose you're right. No one's going to believe me, are they?'

'You're mine, Carol,' he said mockingly.

'I don't have a choice, do I?'

'No,' he told her.

She picked up the.357 lying nearby, steadied herself and fired twice.

Both bullets hit Gregson in the chest. As he fell she got to her feet and put two more into him.

The hammer finally slammed down on an empty chamber.

Carol continued to pull the trigger, looking down at the motionless, bloodied corpse of the policeman.

'All right, drop it.'

The voice boomed through the flat as the first of the armed policemen entered, pistols trained on Carol. She smiled thinly and dropped the gun.

'Jesus Christ,' one of the men murmured, looking round at the carnage.

Carol felt strong hands grab her. She felt lifeless, unable to move; only her eyes, it seemed, were functioning. She looked down at Gregson then at Scott.

Words drifted to her through a haze that seemed to have enveloped her brain. It was as if she were watching herself from outside, through other eyes. The words continued;

'… four dead…'

'… Maybe she killed them all…'

'… Tell his wife…' Two of the men were kneeling beside Gregson, checking for any signs of life.

One of them looked up at Carol. This time, the words did seem to penetrate the haze.

'Shooting a policeman,' he said angrily. 'You'll get life for this.'

Carol looked across at Scott's dead body.

'You'll get life for this,' she heard again as she was ushered out of the room.

'… life…'

She smiled thinly.