Chapter 70
SPOV
Although I'd tried to sound annoyed with Carlos over the fact that my own father had asked to work here, I was actually pleased for him. I saw a side to him that night that I hadn't seen before. He looked and sounded happier, almost excited, that he was helping. It would be good to see him find a new lease of life. I dropped the files off for Tank and then went up to the apartment. I needed something on my feet if I was going out so decided on my cat boots to match my outfit. As I looked in the closet, I pulled out a black jacket that went down to my thighs and tied with a belt at the waist.
I had my purse and phone in the pockets, my watch that was a panic button on, so pulled out a lipstick from my bag that I knew was a tracker. Okay so not my usual behavior, but Carlos's words had spooked me slightly. I was feeling anxious probably because I hadn't been anywhere on my own for a while. I went back down to five to see who would be with me to discover that it was Hal. As we went down in the elevator, I found he hadn't changed much. He was still quiet and seemed quite nervous.
"Where to Bomber?"
"The engraver over on Lalor Street"
"Then where?"
"Back here"
"Okay I think I can manage that"
We travelled in silence through Trenton until we turned into Lalor Street and then struggled to find anywhere to park close to the engraver. As I looked further down the street, I spied one of my favorite places.
"Park at that McDonalds, I'll treat you when I get finished"
Once parked we walked back along the street until we came to the shop I needed. The window was filled with all sorts of things, from medals, jewelry and trophies so hoped I'd picked someone who'd do a good job. Cal was with me as I walked inside, but he did stay toward the back of the shop away from the counter. I waited as an older woman was served and then stepped up to the counter to be served.
"Hi, I called this morning about having a plaque engraved. The name's Plum"
"Of course Ma'am, I know my father's spent a long time doing it. I'll go fetch it"
She disappeared through a door and returned a few minutes later carrying a large piece of metal.
"I hope this is what you were wanting"
I looked at the bronze plaque. It was about a foot wide by six inches deep. There was an engraved border on the outside with the words written inside of it. A hole in each corner would allow for it to be attached to the wall next to the portrait.
"It's perfect, just what I wanted"
"I'm glad you like it, it must be very special"
"I suppose it is"
I paid using my bank card and then watched as she wrapped it in bubble wrap before leaving with it. It seemed quite heavy in my hands, but I suppose it would need to be. Hal and I were walking back toward the car when I remembered I'd promised to buy him a treat.
"I'll meet you back at the car"
I knew he liked their "Big Tasty with Bacon" with fries and a black coffee. I was looking at the menu above me and decided on a garlic chicken mayo wrap with a large coke. I waited as the waitress completed my order and took the tray across to a small table. Somehow, I needed to carry everything outside and to the car. The plaque was the most awkward, so I had the inspired idea of using my coat. I opened my coat and placed the plaque against my stomach then tied the belt tight around my waist to keep it in place. Now I could carry everything out to the car. I worked my way over to where the car was parked balancing food in both my hands, I was a little annoyed that Hal hadn't got out to help me, after all some of this food was his. I put things on the roof in order to free up a hand when I heard a door behind me slide open. I never thought, I just wasn't aware of my surroundings and thought how disappointed Carlos would be with me before I felt the pain on my neck.
My head hurt and my arms hurt, and I couldn't remember why. Then it hit me, I'd been outside McDonalds with food for Hal and me. But who had attacked me and where the hell was I? I knew I was laid on my side on a cold floor and that my hands were tied behind my back. The back of my neck hurt like a bitch, but I didn't feel as though I was injured anywhere else, other than something digging up into my breast. I stopped thinking as I heard a door open and decided to take a quick look around before someone came in. I seemed to be in an old building that was built from wood. The floor and walls looked worse for wear but there was no furniture that I could see in with me. The only light came from a single bulb hanging from the ceiling. The door closed and steps came nearer. I realized my back was to the door so had no idea who had just walked in.
I felt my arms being grabbed hold of and I was literally lifted to my feet and turned around to face the person responsible. He stood back from me, just looking at me. I had no idea who he was and was sure I'd never seen him before. He looked to be maybe about fifty from looking at his face. He wore a black hat over his head, so no hair was showing. He was a big man, certainly taller than me and reminded me of Hal's build. Hal, what the hell had happened to Hal, had been hurt or was he looking for where I'd gone.
Then I remembered I had trackers on me and my watch. I pulled at the restraints around my wrists as I fumbled to touch the dials on my watch, I'm sure I'd have marks where the rope was digging into my skin but at least I had a little more movement. My finger came into contact with the button, pushing it hard into the watch. Now I just had to hope there'd be time for Carlos to get here. At last the man in front of me decided to speak because I was concerned with why he'd brought me here.
"You are a hard woman to find Miss Plum"
"Who are you?"
"The man who's gonna kill you"
Kill me, why would he want to do that, I didn't know him. Had I taken a relative of his back to prison?
"I don't know you, I've never met you"
Before I saw it I felt his fist in my face, sending me back against the wall. I wasn't going to let him intimidate me, so stood tall and took some steps back toward him.
"No you haven't. At first I just wanted to hear you were dead, but the more you evaded that, the more determined I was to do it myself"
"But why?"
"You have no idea do you?"
"If this is about what Buckley had, it's over, there was nothing to find"
"I don't give a shit about Buckley or that stupid idea of computers and robots"
Again, his fist flew at me but this time I moved so instead of my face being hit it was the side of my head. I almost fell back but kept my balance, stars from the hit threatening to take over,
"How do you know me, who are you?"
"Dempsey, Jeremy Dempsey"
"Colonel Dempsey?"
"This has nothing to do with me being in the army"
I didn't understand what the hell he was talking about but knew I had to keep him talking if Carlos was to have time to get here.
"How did you find me?"
"The first time, well let's just say I have access to reports and a search on your name brought one up by Gannon. I knew where he'd taken you so sent a team. They found you but then shot the wrong person and the cowards retreated when other men turned up. Every time a man got a lead on you, you somehow managed to elude them so I decided I'd have to finish the job myself"
"The church, you knew I was there"
"By the time I realized I was tailing decoys I contacted the man at the church. He told me about the phone call you'd made so on the off chance headed there, but I was too late"
"Today?"
"I was told all about the plaque you promised to get for the church when I spoke to the man at the church. All I had to do was call the best engravers claiming to be your uncle and how I wanted to surprise you when you took it there. They were really keen to let me know you were in the shop picking it up. Luckily I wasn't far away and saw you coming out of that restaurant"
"You tried to send someone else after me as well didn't you?"
"Manoso, but he double crossed me. He'll be begging me to take him back and renew his contract when you're out of the way"
"Mr Dempsey if you getting hold of me has nothing to do with the whole Buckley thing, then why? Is this about Carlos because he won't follow your orders?"
"Don't be stupid, though killing you will certainly pay for him betraying me"
"Please, I really don't know anything"
"You killed him"
This time I was prepared for him to punch me, but not for it to land on my side. I groaned as the pain took my breath away and sank to my knees trying to ease the pain.
Killed him, who did he think I'd killed. I mean I know I had shot people but that was because they were going to kill me. I couldn't think and I needed to think. Who was it that he wanted revenge for? Cole, Ramirez maybe Abruzzi, though I didn't kill him. I looked up into his face. It was face filled with rage, there was no other emotion other than pure hatred.
"I don't understand"
"You don't realize what you did, do you?"
"No"
"He was my son"
"Your son?"
"He lost it when his mother died, ran away. It took me months to find him and when I did eventually track him down he'd come to this god forsaken place. He'd got mixed up with the wrong crowd. But we were talking, and he was coming home to me. He realized what a mess he'd gotten himself into. He wanted to get home himself, so I agreed, I didn't want to push him. His idea was to use your car"
"He was the one to steal it?"
"He was a good boy, just lost, but you. It's because of you he's dead"
"How is it because of me?"
That brought back the anger and he yanked me back to my feet by pulling me up to my feet with my hair so that I was standing in front of him. His voice changed now to being loud, spitting out words at me.
"That car, it was a death trap. Even the fucking detective said it was a fucking disaster waiting to happen. The breaks didn't work properly, the tank was all rusted up and the steering was faulty"
"I'm really sorry your son died Mr Dempsey but surely I can't be blamed for it"
"You were responsible for that car, the condition it was in, so in my book that makes you responsible for him dying"
"Nothing you do will bring him back. I'm so sorry"
"I don't want you being sorry. I want revenge, so I want you dead as well"
"Please I didn't know, I didn't know that would happen"
The words that Morelli had thrown at me came bursting into my head. He had said it was because of me, because of the car I drove. But I couldn't afford anything better and I thought it drove just fine. Did that mean I really was responsible, that I was why his son had died. Was Morelli right to say it was all my fault that someone who was innocent would die? I knew tears were falling down my cheeks. I wasn't sure if I was crying for his son, for me or the situation I was in. I watched as he pulled a gun from the pocket of his coat and aimed it at me.
"I want you to die knowing what you did, in pain. A bullet to the stomach so you'll feel yourself burning just like Michael did"
He walked to the door and lifted up a can which he then started to pour a liquid from. I could smell the fumes as he splashed it around the room, gasoline. Oh dear god no, please, I'd rather die from being shot than being burnt alive. I didn't want to get any of it on me so stepped as far away as possible. As he tipped the can upside down showing it was empty, he threw it at me, and he turned to me and then raised the gun again.
"Goodbye Miss Plum. Michael this is for you"
And then he fired. I felt a punch to my stomach and was sent backwards, unable to stop myself from falling. Then I heard a roar before my world went black, blackness was definitely the way to go.
