Chapter 12
TWELVE
Harry was on his feet, eyes on Dave.
‘How long for us to get to Reeth?’
Dave frowned, checked his watch.
‘Half an hour max,’ he replied. ‘Why? What’s going on, Harry? What’s wrong? Who was that?’
Harry didn’t have chance to answer as his phone buzzed and he saw it was Grace on the other end of the call. Terror reached its cold hand into his chest and squeezed his heart so hard he gasped. No one shouted, ‘Protect the King!’
Other phones buzzed and rang.
‘We’re all pissed,’ Harry muttered to himself, as he answered Grace’s call.
‘Grace?’
But it wasn’t Grace, it was Gordy.
‘Harry?’ she said. ‘They’ve taken Grace and Liz.’
‘Gordy? Who took them? How many were there?’
‘The men. No idea who they are. Three of them. They left some flowers as well, and for what it’s worth, they’re very impressive. What do you need me to do?’
‘Did they say where they were taking them?’
Harry didn’t hear Gordy’s answer as Matt butted in and said, ‘Put it on speaker, Harry. By the look on your face, we all need to hear this, don’t we?’
Harry agreed, and did as Matt had suggested.
‘Sorry, Gordy,’ he said. ‘Didn’t catch that. You’re on speaker now, by the way. Everyone can hear you.’
‘Now then, Gordy,’ Matt said, leaning in towards the phone. ‘How’s things?’
‘A little more exciting than I was expecting, if I’m honest, Matt,’ Gordy replied.
‘Harry? I was answering your question about where they were taking Grace and Liz. They didn’t say.
But they did make it very clear that no harm would come to them.
Well, he did, anyway, the one who was very much in charge.
He was adamant that I tell you that. Can’t see how that marries all that well with kidnapping someone, but there we are. ’
Ben was suddenly next to Harry.
‘She mentioned Liz. What’s happened? Who’s taken her and Grace? What’s going on, Harry?’
Harry really didn’t know what to say to Ben. He’d tried to keep all of this from him to keep him safe. Seemed like that was back-firing badly.
‘Ben?’ Gordy said, her voice cutting into the moment from the phone on the table.
‘Liz is fine. She’s with Grace. I don’t think either of them are in any danger, I really don’t, even though that’s hard to believe, even for me.
Just stay calm, and I’m sure we’ll be able to get this all sorted, won’t we, Harry? ’
Harry saw that hearing from Gordy calmed Ben a little.
‘You’re all okay, though?’ he asked. ‘No one’s hurt.’
‘We’re fine,’ said Gordy. ‘Can’t say this is how I was hoping we’d have our first chat, Harry. In fact, I wasn’t expecting to chat to you at all. I was trying to put that off till the wedding.’
Under different circumstances, Harry would have smiled at that.
‘Who are they, Harry?’ Gordy asked. ‘They were in and out fast. We were all in the middle of a rather rude game of charades, and Margaret, Rebecca’s mum, was up and making a proper show of it.
I was glad of the interruption, if I’m honest, up to the point where I wasn’t, which was when I realised something was wrong. ’
‘Explain.’
‘They walked in, all calm, like they were meant to be there. Smartly dressed, too. And they had these two huge bunches of flowers as well. Gave those to Grace and Liz. Some of us thought they might be strippers, though there was no way Grace or Liz would’ve wanted that, so that idea died quickly.
Mind, that might have had more to do with the gun, thinking about it. ’
Harry’s blood hit subzero.
‘Gun? What gun? You said no one was hurt!’ What the hell was all this about? He’d been promised a truce! That’s why they’d met!
‘It was a pistol,’ said Gordy. ‘The one who was in charge pulled it out. Very casual, so none of us thought what was going on was serious. Sowerby wondered if it was something you or Ben had set up, you know, have these blokes turn up all smart and carrying toy guns and then kidnap the brides. Neat idea, really.’
‘Except that’s not what this is, is it?’ said Harry. ‘Everyone knows we’d never do that.’
‘We were all very drunk, Harry. And we still are. At the time, it all seemed like it was just part of what was going on, a bit of fun. It’s certainly made for a memorable evening, I can tell you that.’
‘But they took Grace and Liz, is that what you’re saying?’
‘Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying,’ said Gordy.
‘We were all too stunned by what was going on, too confused and drunk to realise it was real, by which time it was too late. I called you immediately. They’re fine though, no one’s been hurt.
And like I said, whoever that man is that’s running the show, he was very clear that no one would be harmed. ’
‘You’re using Grace’s phone.’
‘He told me to, just as he left, and right before he pointed that gun of his at me and pulled the trigger. Should’ve heard them all laughing about that as they left.’
‘He did what?’
Harry couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
‘Wasn’t a real gun, Harry. He shot me with this little plastic ball. I’m going to have a bruise on my forehead for days. Feels like I’ve been stung by the world’s largest wasp.’
‘Airsoft,’ said Harry. ‘That bastard...’
‘Airsoft? You mean like that case we had ages ago, with that bloke running around above Gunnerside?’
‘Exactly. Did he say anything else?’
‘Just that getting anyone else involved in all this would be a very bad idea, that’s all.’ Gordy fell quiet for a moment, then added, ‘What’s going on, Harry? What is this?’
‘It’s nothing,’ Harry said, then before Gordy had a chance to reply, continued with, ‘Is everyone else okay? Can you get everyone home?’
‘We’re all staying over, but I assume you knew that anyway. Those of us who don’t have rooms here are at a couple of the other pubs.’
‘Gordy, keep me posted on how everyone is, okay?’
Harry hung up and saw that everyone was staring at him.
Matt asked, ‘Harry, what’s wrong, what’s happened?’
Harry ignored Matt and was again looking at Dave. He’d noticed something about the man, something he’d been wondering about as the night had gone, but only now did it seem important.
‘If we’re all staying over, Dave, why is it that you’re sober?’
‘Little rule I have,’ answered Dave. ‘I always like to make sure that at least one from the party, whatever, and wherever, that party is, isn’t drinking. That way, they can keep an eye on everyone, can’t they?’
‘And this rule,’ Harry asked, ‘does it ever involve anyone other than you? Or, am I right in thinking, that it’s always you, the one who stays sober, I mean?’
Dave gave a shrug.
‘It’s just something I like to do, Harry, that’s all.’
Harry heard an undertone in what Dave was saying. There was a story behind this, wasn’t there, he thought? Now was not the time to go asking what it was, though. That would be for another day, and perhaps another pub.
Harry’s phone buzzed again. He looked to see that a message had appeared from a number he recognised. It was the one that had been left on the digital voice recorder, the one he’d called to arrange the meeting over in Reeth that morning. He opened the message, saw a link, clicked it.
‘What does it say, Harry?’ Ben asked. ‘Is Liz okay? What’s going on?’
‘He’s shared his location,’ Harry said, placing his phone on the table so that everyone could see the map on the screen, and the little marker now slowly moving across it.
‘Where are they?’ Matt asked, leaning over. ‘And who is this ‘he’, that you’re talking about?’
‘Long story,’ Harry said. ‘Let’s just say that the criminal side of the family didn’t just include the bastard Ben and I were unlucky enough to have as a father.’
Harry saw Ben’s eyes go wide at this revelation. Harry ignored it and focused on the phone. ‘He wants me to follow them.’
‘Then we’re all going,’ said Matt.
Harry did his best to stare Matt down, but Matt wasn’t shifting.
‘Gordy was told to tell me to not get anyone else involved,’ Harry said.
‘It’s me this is about, Matt, just me. Not you.
And not anyone else here, either. I won’t put anyone else at risk.
Plus, we’ve all had a skinful, haven’t we?
We’ll be a liability if we all go rushing off together like some group of pissed up vigilantes. ’
Matt shook his head, clearly disappointed by what Harry had just said.
‘Have you not been listening?’ he said. ‘Have you not been taking notice of anything about this evening?’
‘To what?’
Matt swept an arm around at everyone else in the group.
‘After three, everyone! One, two three!’
As one, they all roared, ‘Protect the King!’
Harry almost smiled.
‘This is serious, Matt,’ he said. ‘These are dangerous people. This isn’t a game.’
‘No, you’re right, it isn’t,’ Matt agreed. ‘Which makes you wonder why they decided to play, doesn’t it?’
Harry was confused by that response, even more so when Matt turned away from him and called everyone round to look at the map on the phone screen.
‘They’ve just left Grinton, and they’re now heading out on Whipperdale,’ he said.
‘We need to move fast if we’re to do anything at all.
Can’t call the police, so we won’t. Any ideas?
We need a road block. Both ends. Trap them.
One before they reach the main road, the other so they’re stuck if they turn around. ’
‘I can help with that,’ said Dave, before anyone had a chance to say anything themselves. He was already scrolling through the contacts on his phone.
‘No!’ said Harry. ‘No one’s going anywhere, or doing anything, or helping with anything, and there will absolutely not be any road blocks! The only person dealing with this is me. That’s all there is to it. Just me. No police. No any of you. Is that understood?’
Dave, it was clear to Harry, wasn’t listening, or if he was, he was making it very obvious that he didn’t understand at all.
‘Now then, Smithy, how goes it?’ he said to the person he’d just called.
‘What? Yes, still got the goats. You still throwing lads out of planes for a living? Excellent news. Why the call? Well, I was wondering if you’d mind doing me a favour?
Might be a bit of a laugh if you and a few of your pals are up for it.
Can even class it as training if you want. ’
Harry tried to grab Dave’s phone, but Dave was too quick for him, helped by the fact that he was sober. As Harry tried to follow him, the rest of the group got in his way, and held him back.
‘You don’t understand!’ Harry roared. ‘You can’t get involved! This is dangerous! It needs to be me and only me!’
Dave turned around. Beamed.
‘Well, that’s that all sorted,’ he said. ‘Smithy’s on it. Shall we get gone?’