Reckless Moments
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A/N: Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and here is the next chapter.
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Chapter 16 – Writing on the wall
The festivities over for another year and they were early 2003. Still no word on when they were being sent back to Afghan but Elvis and Georgie had fixed a date for the early January for their wedding in Manchester at City Hall.
Molly had to admit it was a lovely wedding, Georgie's dress was stunning and her white faux fur bolero keeping her warm on the cold day, the sun may have been shining but it definitely felt colder here than in London. Her family were really nice and her sisters looked pretty in their dark sapphire blue bridesmaids dresses. She couldn't stop staring at Charles in his dress uniform with that bloody great sword. Must be fake she thought, if her brothers went around London wearing something like that they would be arrested and he was just standing in the street with it. Apart from family all the sections were there and Elvis's team. As best man Charles was on the top table and not impressed when he saw Fingers had made a bee line for her his arm around her shoulder as he guided her to the 2 section table for the wedding lunch, sitting down next to her. He had no idea what they were talking about but he could see Molly laughing. He narrowed his eyes wondering what Fingers was up to, because without a doubt with that expression on his face, he was up to something.
If he only knew, Fingers was asking if they could make her club a regular venue for their Christmas do and she couldn't help but smirk, she had seen the look on his face when the dancers had come out. He had spent quite a bit of time with Sophie, their top girl and choreographer. She was a really nice girl and she hoped that Fingers was not just messing about with her. She had no problem with them coming back for their Christmas do although it was a long way off, she knew as much as they did that they may not even be in the country by then. Deployed to some godforsaken shithole. If the papers were anything to be believed looked like Iraq was about to be invaded looking for weapons and they were still sending troops to Afghan.
All she could do was hope that they didn't have to go there again. Charles may not have realised he was dreaming about things that happened but she did, she was the one that held on to him in his sleep until he settled again, his dreams never bad enough to wake him. They were getting less frequent as time went on, but that didn't stop her worrying about him and what he was thinking. She would never ask him to leave, even if that was what she secretly wanted and wished for, he would end up resenting her if she pushed it, he had always told her it was all he ever wanted, she had always known this but the reality of him being away for months on end she hated every second he was gone.
He was always taking the piss about their kitchen looking pristine even after living there for years. What he didn't know and she would never say, was that it only felt like home when he was there with her. When he was away, she had lunch with her mum sometimes, frequently joined Jackie and Gary for dinner before the club opened, Jackie being a really good cook. If she was being honest with herself she could probably cook a pretty good meal herself if she wanted, their chef had taught her loads. She often went up to Jack's flat and pushed him until he would come to the Aqua Zumba class with her, anything that got her out of being there on her own, wondering how he was and was he safe.
She thought of Elvis and Georgie, the smiles on their faces as they had looked at each other as they came back down the aisle, they clearly adored each other she couldn't help but wonder why they bothered both of them in the army and away from each other so much. Maybe it was because they were both in the army they understood the draw of it and maybe it was because she wasn't that she couldn't. How would Georgie deal with it if something happened to Elvis? More importantly how would she if something happened to Charles, grinning at him on the top table as he winked at her.
-OG-
They were back at their apartment when Dave phoned to say that Tony and Doris were coming back to live in the UK. Molly knew that meant he was coming to the end. The reason they had all been asked to go to Spain was because the Cigar smoking had finally caught up with him and he wanted to be in London when the end came. "Back to the smog" he cackled, "not that there has been the pea soupers like the old days" he said. That holiday where Charles parents had also gone out there was his announcement that he was terminal and would come home soon. He wanted a proper east end send off. See London again, go round all the old places, see his old mates while he still could.
Charles wished he could be more supportive for Molly who was worried about Doris, who looked painfully thin herself at the prospect of losing Tony. His mum came up a few times to stay with them or Fred and pop round with Belinda to see both Tony and Doris. After all she had known them both nearly all her life too. He couldn't be there that much, he was in meeting after meeting, equipment being sent out by logistics to Kuwait, tented camps being set up along the border with Iraq. This had been going on since January and he was surprised that he was still here and able to have been Elvis' best man, was even more surprised that Elvis hadn't been called away before the wedding if he was honest. He was under no illusion that his deployment would be imminent, there was to be a show of force. Once there was parliamentary agreement they would support the US in their war on terrorism and the stock piling of weapons.
Molly stormed into their flat after having spent the day at the hospital with her mum, Doris and his mum. Throwing her keys in the bowl
"London's bleedin gridlocked, can't get anywhere for the fucking marches"
"What marches" he had been at home all day doing paperwork, hadn't put the TV on, just kept his phone by him in case his Molly needed him or a call from the base.
"That fuckin mate of Mum's, Shazza, they've all been on a march not in my name" she rolled her eyes
"I'm sure she wasn't the only one"
"No she bleedin weren't, it will be in her best interests to stay out me dad's way, this time she really will end up on the M25"
He stood up, walking to the kitchen to put the kettle on turning back to her every fibre of her blazing with anger, he could see how upset she was, her eyes glistening with tears but it was rage more than anything "What happened" he asked quietly moving towards her, wrapping her in an embrace.
"Tony's gone, Doris was there but we couldn't get there in time" she sighed heavily sinking into his hold
"I'm so sorry Molly" he kissed the top of her head which was pressed against his chest. He knew how much she loved Tony and Doris, they had been there all her life, substitute grandparents never having known her real ones from her dad's side. "I've dropped Mum, Dad, Doris and your Mum back at Wanstead" she sighed as she held on to him "Doris looks shattered"
-OG-
The funeral was a very solemn affair. Tony had organised all of it, knowing he was going. He wanted a proper traditional east end funeral, black horses, the works and a proper knees up afterwards at the pub. Considering how long he had lived abroad Charles was surprised at how packed the church was. He could see by the sun tans just how many of his mates must have flown in from Spain. The Dawes, Smiths and Delaneys out in force, he knew Martin was growing just turning into his teens, but Sean, Sam's son was tall, the spitting image of his father and already ingrained to the business, working full time at the bookies while he learnt the business. As Charles scanned the area, his arm round Molly's shoulder, he saw the Latsis family. Molly said a lot of the old families were here today, Tony had always been popular, had always been fair when it came to business. From what he could gather from Molly it was almost a who's who of underworld faces and he hadn't realised just how many she knew as she nodded and said hello to people passing by Doris who looked a shell of her former self by the day's proceedings, being supported by Belinda and his Mum. A puff of wind would have had her over he thought.
He felt Molly's elbow in his ribs and looked down as her head nodded towards a line of stones and a few trees a distance from where they were all standing. He squinted as he looked at the face staring at all of them. "Is that…." He whispered his head lowering towards her ear, she nodded "Yeah! Tom Baxter" she looked up at him "Still don't think he knew who I was when we was on holiday?"
"Shit, what do you think he wants?"
Molly shrugged "Dunno but if he is here maybe there are others, probably wanna know who is in the country and if there is anything they can pin on them" Charles couldn't take his eyes off Tom Baxter, why would he be here, all that time he had tried to convince Molly it was her imagination. Tom caught his eye and moved back, hiding his presence, but Molly had already motioned to her brothers who were walking towards where he stood and he turned hurrying away.
-OG-
"How did the funeral go" asked Major Beck seated behind his desk with Charles looking incredulous he even knew he had been to a funeral. He was on a day's leave so hadn't felt it necessary to say why "Seems the police were interested, your fiancé is a person of interest"
"What" he exclaimed "Why?"
"No need to worry Charles, whoever it was making enquiries were given short shrift and told to back off unless there was something specific they were looking into, that you were an officer with an exemplary record" he shrugged "it would appear there is nothing"
Charles ran his hand around his neck, shaking his head. Was it Tom Baxter that was trying to cause trouble, but who was it that said to back off? Why did he have the funny feeling that Blue and Elvis may have been involved in this somewhere?
"Anyway Charles down to business" said Beck getting more serious as he opened files on his desk "We have been building a base up in Kuwait, not that we wanted to deploy from there, we wanted to go in from Turkey but the Americans didn't want that" he huffed raising his eyebrows "and after all they are leading this operation"
"We're going into Iraq then" sighed Charles
"Seems so" sighed Beck "Weapons of mass destruction and they are helping Al Qaeda" he snorted a laugh
"You don't believe it" and Beck shrugged "One has to believe that those higher up are seeing the bigger picture" raising an eyebrow "Long and short, we are supporting the Septics and going in via Kuwait" Charles nodded, what could he say
"We are to work with them to overthrow the current regime, while still maintaining security in Afghan"
"We're going to be stretched"
"Oh you haven't heard this" snorted Beck "We will be getting welfare packages, you will be able to phone home every week, watch a film and there will be R&R so that they can go home and see their families, tours will be six months and the reservists are to be called in"
"Lovely" snorted Charles in response "I'm sure the men will be pleased about that" Major Beck rolled his eyes "They are also going to do what they can to see that there is a suitable timeframe before sending them all back again"
"Really, would like to see how that will work out"
-OG-
The para's, SAS and Household Cavalry were the first to leave followed by the infantry regiments. When his sections arrived there were a succession of sandstorms making, training and acclimatisation exercises difficult to say the least, not to mention the potential threat from across the border of chemical attacks.
"Bloody hell" coughed Mansfield "I could pack up smoking with this, it's even worse than Afghan"
"Well let's hope we don't have to stay here that long" retorted Fingers tying a scarf around his face
It had all been a logistical nightmare for all the branches of the armed services. There were still shortages and delays getting all their equipment there in time. Not that they had a date for the invasion yet. Ultimatums had been given, those dates not passed yet. One had to have hope that it would all come to nothing.
Charles was called to the operations room, the day had come, word came through that the US and its allies were to launch a full scale invasion. On the eve of the invasion everyone from the British base camp were called together for the battle speech. Charles thought it quite thought provoking, that they were going there to liberate and not to conquer and were not to fly our flags in their country. To be ferocious in battle but remember to be magnanimous in victory.
Like all his men he went back to his tent and wrote letters home. The following evening the engineers breached the banks to allow forces to cross into Iraq. Air strikes, artillery attacks and armoured vehicles all designed to promote a shock and awe tactic. Iraqi defences soon collapsed. The British staying in Basra and surrounding area, while the Americans moved north to Bagdad.
-OG-
This now reminded him of exactly what they had been doing in Afghan a year ago, patrol after patrol checking for weapons. Who was a civilian, who was an insurgent? How did you know if the bloke on his phone was just talking with a mate or telling people where you were so they can fire an IED. It started as random isolated incidents but was getting more and more frequent. If Al Qaeda weren't there before, they were now. Their weapons and IEDs getting more sophisticated. The times he and other Captains had told those higher up they needed to stop using soft skinned vehicles. Sirens of an imminent attack a rarity when they started were now daily occurrences. Mortar or rocket attacks on bases and installations increasing, and if they did get civilian contractors in to help with the rebuilding, car bombs kidnappings and suicide attacks were all becoming increasingly familiar.
So much for the care packages, they got the phone calls home and even had some films sent but the R&R on this tour looked like it was going by the wayside. No word from headquarters when he could start sending people home, he was rather hoping he might get a couple of weeks himself but that was looking increasingly unlikely.
They did stick to the six months though, every one of his men ready for the flights home to family. Most of their tours had been humanitarian, and this tour was something he didn't think any of his sections would ever forget. How little life meant to the people coming towards the tanks, pickup trucks having little effect and clearly taken out. He had heard the rumours that some of them were high on drugs, but who knows or if martyrdom played a part in what they were doing. Even Fingers had stopped joking and he could see his hand shaking when the sirens went off. He had got them all through it, luck again he thought with some of the things they had seen and had to do. All of them battle weary and desperate for home, just the simple pleasure of being able to sleep something they were all looking forward to. Nothing was in place to replace the government they brought down, there were shortages of everything and looting was a growing problem along with everything else. Pity the poor sods that came out to replace them, things were getting worse not better.
He knew that both Bones and Elvis were out here somewhere but he hadn't seen them and only had to hope that they had kept safe with what they had to do, and he would see them again when they got home.
-OG-
Molly was sat on one of the stools in the bar area of the club talking with Jackie, it was early afternoon. It wasn't busy a few business men left having a lite bite along with their business meeting. It was quite lucrative opening at lunch time. They were on the edge of the financial area and quite a few business people came in for a drink and lunch, the spacing of the tables affording a certain amount of privacy while having the ambiance of a club with subdued lighting and quiet music in the background.
"Hello Molly" came a voice from behind her. She swung round on her stool to look at who had spoken only to see Tom Baxter. "How's Captain James" he grinned. Her eyes turned to ice as she gave a small nod to Jackie to move away, that the person who was now sitting next to her was a copper. Jackie picked up a glass she had been washing and moved to the other end of the bar putting it on the rack before moving out of sight to phone through to the office where Gary was working.
When Molly had last seen Tom it was at the funeral, when she and Charles had been on holiday he never once mentioned he was in the army, so looks like he had been doing some digging himself. She planted one of her best smiles on her face "How's Vicky" he smirked "Blooming as they say, she's pregnant"
"Lovely" she answered and couldn't help but smirk herself, Charles had been away far too long, she was starting to sound like him. "So to what do we owe the pleasure" raising her eyebrows "Detective Constable Baxter" letting him know that she knew exactly who he was.
"It would be if it was mine, but she pissed off a while back as it happens"
"Sorry to hear it"
He shrugged "Probably never gonna work out" as he looked at her, his eyes roaming her face and taking in the dark hair pulled back into a pony tail. "Why did you stop being blonde"
"What?"
"Hello Tom" Gary spoke as he joined them, as soon as Jackie phoned up saying that a copper was in the bar talking with Molly he came down, well that was after he took a look on the security cameras from upstairs to see who it was, then phoned Jack to say they had a visit from an old school friend. He hadn't seen him since he was 15, Tom may be taller now and a bit fuller in the face but he was sure it was him, the one that Molly had pointed out to him at the funeral. "Haven't seen you since school, would have recognised you anywhere" Tom couldn't help but glare at the new arrival, Gary the one who had embarrassed him along with his brother, made him feel small. He'd never been popular like the brothers, didn't have many friends, but what they did, getting him drunk like that, turning that play into a farce, he didn't think he could ever forgive them or some of the others that had made him a laughing stock. He'd met up with the girl that played Juliet, caught her soliciting, one of his first convictions. From what he heard on the grape vine she still hadn't learnt her lesson. His mum and dad had been in that audience when he threw up and they laughed along with nearly everyone else. When he told them how the brothers had given him vodka so he felt ill, his dad told him to suck it up and keep his gob shut, when he said they should tell the teachers. Even then they never supported him. How dare they laugh, it wasn't remotely funny being made to feel like that. After all that family were nothing, their dad was in prison for a wages robbery of all things.
He hadn't known at the time that his own father worked for Tony Wilkins, even after they moved out to Essex to be near his mum's sister. He did the collections out there and a bit of debt collecting, tried to get him in on the business but there was no way he would ever work with people that broke the law and had made him a laughing stock. He would never forget the faces of the audience or the faces of Gary and Jack. He would get them back one day, same as he got Juliet. He had worked bloody hard for what he had and those Dawes boys just got it all handed to them on a plate.
His dad couldn't believe it when he told him he was joining the police. He was going to make sure that the criminals were put away. His Dad had laughed and told him maybe he should take a closer look at all the things he had and wonder how some of it got there and perhaps he shouldn't be so up himself. He didn't have anything to do with his father anymore, what with him being part of the fraternity he wanted to put away, had been a bit surprised when he saw his parents at Tony bloody Wilkins funeral, but then he had worked for him but didn't realise he must have kept in touch even after Tony had left the country. He hadn't even told Vicky that his parents were still alive. He couldn't understand why his parents thought these people were worthy of their attention and he wasn't. Airbrushing the past that it was him that made the decision to leave when he found out that his own parents were no different from the Dawes, his Dad just hadn't been caught.
"So are you gonna tell us what you want" asked Gary "I'm assuming this isn't an official visit seeing as you are on your own" grinning letting Tom know in that one sentence he knew he was a copper "No back up as a witness"
"He might just wanna catch up with an old school mate" said Molly although he did detect the sarcasm in her voice as he grinned down at his sister. He nodded "Yep he could be" looking back towards Tom again.
Tom could almost feel his blood pressure going up, he so wanted to be in a position to teach Gary a lesson, he knew from his childhood and odd snippets from his dad while he was growing up just what they were into, he saw the faces at the funeral and knew that nothing seemed to have changed. As soon as he clapped eyes on Molly when she was in Cyprus with that tall bloke he recognised her. Even though her hair had changed to a dark colouring he would know that smile and those eyes. He had seen her a few times over the years, not that she ever seemed to notice him and it made his blood boil that she had always dismissed him and didn't seem to remember him when they were out in Cyprus. If only she had noticed him, he could have given her a good life, would have been there for her, not traipsing round the world saving everyone else except her. He couldn't believe that he was still on the scene when he saw him at the funeral and made enquiries as to who he was. He had been in deep shit for those enquiries, found out he was an army Captain and everyone wanted to know why he was asking. Unless he had concrete evidence of criminal activity in the Dawes family he was to back off.
"We had reports of a couple of Albanians going missing, last name Lekaj"
"Really?"
"Bleedin hell if it ain't Tom" grinned Jack as he walked across to them. "I ain't seen you since that bloody play we were meant to be in" he laughed "Fuckin teacher can't believe he made us lot do Romeo and Juliet" bursting into laughter "and that bleedin song ain't even banned now"
Tom was a little intimidated now. He had hoped to get Molly on her own, thought she would be when he saw her come in, ever since he saw her in Cyprus he had started coming back here, when he could, to see if he could see her, this is the first time he had seen her come in during the day. He wanted to talk with her, tell her he had remembered her, perhaps they could go for a drink or have dinner. After all that so called boyfriend was too busy looking after everyone else and he could look after her far better than the Captain could. As he looked across to her and saw the coldness in her eyes, her movement to stand closer to her brothers it became clear to him Molly would never be his, she would never see him as a potential partner while her brothers influenced her and they clearly did. Could she not see he could offer her far more than the posh army bloke and her family? He could keep her on the straight and narrow, if they sold off the shadier sides of the family business they could have a perfect life together.
"Why would you think I had anything to do with Artan Lekaj" asked Molly innocently going back to the original reason for him being there, not liking the way he was looking at her "We haven't seen him in years" frowning "In fact last I saw of him was at me 18th when he was copping off with me mate Mary" shrugging "Sort of means I wouldn't want nothing to do with him again"
"Cor your 18th crickey that must have been 1996" added Gary "Bleedin hell that was years ago, you still looking into that"
"Funny how you are looking into him being missing, you caught the bloke what shot me" added Jack "Outside this very club no less" he added
This really hadn't gone the way he wanted thought Tom, he had hoped to talk with Molly, get her to realise he was the person who would be her future. Her family would just take her deeper into a life of crime and that Captain would always be off somewhere, he would never be there for her, never be able to save her from herself. He gave a final look in Molly's direction, her face devoid of emotion but her eyes were locked on to his, staring at him. One day he might be in a position to bring them all down but today wasn't it.
"I wonder what all that was about" asked Jack
"Do you think Proud Mary has been gobbing off again" asked Gary still staring at the door and Molly shook her head
"Don't think so, but will pay her a visit just to check" she shrugged "Look I need to see chef, he's helping with a stew for Charlie, he's coming home tonight" grinning broadly as she started to walk behind the bar and into the kitchens. But that didn't quell the shiver she felt about Tom suddenly turning up out the blue like this.
As the kitchen door swung shut Jack turned to his brother "You see the way he looked at her" and Gary nodded still looking at the exit "Yeah, something ain't right there" turning to look at his brother "I expect with Charlie coming back she will be spending time with him, but if she is coming here or to any of the other businesses I want Col as her driver"
"Good luck with that bruv" he snorted a laugh "she ain't gonna like that one bit if you tell her she has a minder"
"We tell her that he needs extra hours, he wants to take his wife and kid on holiday and he's picking her up on route and driving was all the extra we could give him at the minute" he raised his eyebrow "If she wants to come down the yard, do the books, see the beasts then you take her"
Jack sighed, he was well aware that every time Molly came to the yard she always went out the back to see Bill and Ben "Do you think we should buy her a puppy for her birthday?"
"No I bleedin don't" laughed Gary "With the way her and Charlie lead their lives they would be hard pushed to keep a bleedin goldfish"
-OG-
Charles threw his keys in the bowl noticing Molly's already there. The apartment smelt different, he could smell food, he didn't know what it was but it smelt really nice. He took his Bergen through into their bedroom first, grinning that Molly was actually going to mess up the kitchen, it wasn't going to be a take-away. He was so bloody tired he didn't know how he was going to stay awake to order in food or go out for dinner.
She must have heard him come in, he had barely put down his stuff and unzipped his holdall pulling out his filthy clothes when a pair of hands snaked around his waist and kissed him between his shoulder blades. His face breaking into a huge smile as he turned to face her a smile that matched his own as she looked up at him. She had obviously been in a while, her hair tied into a messy bun and wearing one of his t-shirts which nearly came down to her knees. From her face he deduced she had not long been out the shower, still flushed from the hot water and her hair damp.
"Can I smell dinner" he beamed at her, his hands clasping her face as he brought his lips to hers
"Yeah" she giggled "the chef at the club has been teaching me while you've been away" her hand coming up to his face and running her fingers across his stubble "Don't expect it all the time though, still want you to take me out for dinner"
"Of course and we mustn't forget the take-aways either" unable to take the grin off his face he had missed her and now here she was in his arms
"When's it ready" he asked and she shrugged "One of them posh stews ain't it, I can turn the oven down for a bit if you like" she giggled "I hope you're hungry, there seems to be a lot of it, think he might have forgotten I only wanted it for two and not two hundred"
"I'm bloody starving" he whispered in her ear as he started to kiss her round her neck, lifting his t shirt over her head.
-OG-
The brothers were right, with Charles being back and on leave Molly spent all the time she could with him. They first went across to Hereford to see Elvis and Georgie. She hadn't been on that last tour with 2 section. She was working in an NHS hospital and moved across to Reserves. She didn't want to be deployed for months at a different time to Elvis, their marriage being like ships that passed in the night, as she went on tour he came back. She wanted them to have a home and something he could look forward to coming back to she told Molly, like Charles had, that when he came back off tour he could put his key in the lock of their own home and there would be someone there. Molly had never thought of it like that before and it was a new perspective for her. Being reserves she might still have to go if there was an emergency or real need but she wouldn't be deployed with the frequency of a regular. Much preferred the shifts and being able to come back to her own bed in their home.
His parents were at their Villa in Lake Garda so they went there for a few days. Soaking up the sun, going out for dinner. His mum filling them in that now Dave had his passport both him and Belinda had come out to see them. Beth telling Molly that both she and Belinda were worried about Doris, she still wasn't eating that well and didn't seem to want to go back to the villa in Spain without Tony. Molly knew all this, she saw her mum most days.
"I think she's gonna sell it Beth" sighed Molly "I know from Mum that she's really struggling without him, reckons the villa is too much of a reminder of him, feels empty without him. It was a bloody big villa" she could sympathise with that, after all that's why she spent so much time out at the clubs when Charlie was away. Felt too quiet and lonely there without him. If he was duty officer at Aldershot it wasn't hard to book a hotel room and they could spend time together when he finished if he had an early start the next day and couldn't get back to London. It was the months away on tour and only a phone call to keep her company that bothered her.
It also gave Charles the opportunity to talk with his father. Since he had retired, he and Beth had spent time travelling or at their villa, rarely coming back to Bath. He couldn't tell Molly what had happened out there, the things he had seen, the constant need to be on alert, watching his men as they carried out their orders, knowing the stress they were under but there was nothing he could do and hoping that they would all come home safely to their families. His father knew though, he had been there himself the first time around "There was no appetite to finish the job after Kuwait, we were already in Iraq but told to stop" he shrugged "and here we are again" sighing "now we have two fronts Iraq and Afghanistan"
-OG-
It had been a few weeks since the visit from Tom Baxter. Charles leave finished and he was going back to Aldershot on a daily basis. Molly now had the opportunity to go back to the old estate to see Proud Mary. She wasn't in but her Mum was. She beamed at Molly when she saw her on the door step, invited her in and made a pot of tea, brought out the chocolate hobnobs.
Since her 18th she had nothing to do with Mary and her mum. Maureen was filling her in as to what had happened in the intervening years. Seemed that Artan had convinced her they needed to move away and they had moved to Portsmouth not long after the party. Told her it would be a fresh start for both of them. They weren't gone that long, maybe a year but when she came back she had changed. They moved in with her for a bit when they first came back and she was taking all sorts, did whatever he told her to, she was sure he knocked her about, he was a nasty piece of work but Mary just couldn't see it. Kept insisting he loved her.
Molly said that they had a visit from the police about him, apparently, he was missing, which is why she thought she would visit, see how her old friend was, a lot of years had passed since her 18th. She didn't think she would get much out of Maureen if she mentioned the drunken visit she had at their club in Soho, where she had accused Molly's family of getting rid of him. She thought it was all sorted but the visit from DC Baxter had thrown her a bit. Mary's mother looked her straight in the eye as she said she hoped they never found him so he could get his claws back into Mary, as far as she was concerned he had already ruined her life.
"Did she report him missing" Molly couldn't help but ask
"She did" shrugged her mother "But that was years ago and I thought she realised he wasn't coming back" she sighed worried for her daughter that he might be coming back to ruin her life even more than he already had "I always hoped he was gone for good, I want him to be" she took a deep breath as she remembered her baby girl, always smiling and her and Molly had seemed so close in those days "I know he got her started on the drugs, I just wish she would forget about him and get off them"
Molly nodded "Doesn't always pay to remember the past, rake it all back up again" as she looked into the eyes of the mother of her old friend. Maureen could see they were cold and showed no emotion "It's up to Mary if she wants to make a go of her life, but she shouldn't worry that Artan will screw it up for her" said Molly drawing in a large breath
"We've had a copper round asking questions recently but we can't tell him nothing" looking back at Molly and becoming hopeful that Artan wouldn't be back to mess her daughter's life any more than he already had, "He's probably living off some other poor girl that don't know no better"
"Most likely" replied Molly. Whatever had caused Tom Baxter to start looking into Artan's disappearance it hadn't come from Mary or her mother. "Does she want to get off the smack, turn her life around?"
"Dunno Molly" answered Maureen truthfully "I wish that she had never met that bloody man and the one she is with now ain't no better" she sighed "I keep asking her to, go see the Doc see if he can get her on some sort of rehab program" she shrugged "Says there's no point, there's no way someone the likes of her will get on a course and where would we get the money"
"Look we ain't ever gonna be mates again" she shrugged "but if you think she wants to get off that shit you get in touch and I'll pay for the rehab, get her back to how she used to be"
"She ain't ever told me why the pair of you fell out" Maureen gave a small smile, she had her ideas on that one and wouldn't be surprised if it weren't that arsehole Artan because that was when her Mary went right off the rails "thanks, cos it could take years to get her on a rehab course" Molly nodded "Just let me know if you need help Maur" and she stood to leave "You know where I am" and hugged Maureen goodbye, hoping that Mary did one day want the help, because she had been so shocked at how thin she looked and she really didn't look that well to her. They may have lost the friendship they had while growing up but that didn't mean she wasn't worried about her and didn't want to help.
-OG-
Gary and Jack were in the Earl of Wakefield already sitting in a booth with their pints waiting on their Dad. Molly had already told them that it wasn't Mary or her mother that had restarted this investigation into Artan. "I think Molls has got her own personal little stalker" said Gary as he sipped his pint. Jack shrugged "We was just kids when he used to follow her about, what was she 11 or 12, once they moved he never kept in touch, its more than that, sure of it" he sighed "I think he has a bit of a screw loose, he certainly gave you the eye, don't think he has ever forgiven you for that business with the school play"
"You having a bubble" he snorted "We was kids, why would he still be pissed about that, he chucked his guts over the front row, so what"
"You gave him the vodka"
"Did I have his arm up his back" huffed Gary "No I bloody didn't, he was the one that grabbed the bottle out me hand and slugged it"
The pub doors opened and there was a moments silence before they heard the chatter resume, Dave and Fred sat next to them. Sam at the bar organising another round before coming to join them all.
"Dad" started Gary he didn't realise he would be coming with both Fred and Sam, but he shouldn't have been surprised. They had always been close and when growing up had always called them Uncle. They were all sat in a booth away from the bar and listening ears
"So has our Molls got a problem, you reckon it's a stalker" Dave's eyes narrowing at his son
"Dunno Dad" started Gary "But he was talking about Artan, kept looking at her"
"Well I've had a word with Teflon" started Fred an old Met contact of theirs that had long since retired. Had been on the payroll since the old Tony Wilkins day. Got the nickname because nothing stuck to him when the police corruption investigations started, rode them all out and moved up through the ranks to DCI. "He had a word with some of his old mates and no one is looking for them, the case is closed, reckon they went back to Kosovo or Albania once their building went up in smoke leaving a lot of unpaid bills to both staff and suppliers, no insurance either" Fred continued with a grin "there is no new evidence and no one has come forward with any information to have it reopened"
"Well they won't be found now" grinned Sam "Not after them shops and flats went up" When they had heard that the council wanted the site cleared of rubble, they contacted one of their mates in the building game to put in a bid for the whole site. They would take on the complete project including clearance, along with architectural plans for both shops and flats. Fred, Sam and Dave had behind the scenes supplied some of the finance to the construction firm to make sure the bid was won. The council virtually bit their arm off when they realised just how that run down site could provide both housing and work to the area. The rubble was collected and compacted and reused on the site in the foundations. Nothing left to say anything other than a gas explosion had destroyed the club and left buildings either side in a dangerous state. All of it demolished, cleared and rebuilt.
"So what's this DC Baxter playing at" asked Dave taking a large gulp of his beer, he didn't like the sound of this at all, looks like he was acting on his own and what made him suddenly pick this case.
"I don't think he is investigating it Dad" sighed Gary and looking towards his brother for support "He was talking with Molly when we turned up and asked him what he wanted" he shrugged "I just think that was the first thing that came into his head"
Fred snorted a laugh "funny thing to come up with, when did that twat Artan disappear, 6 years ago wasn't it, or there abouts"
"It was 1998" said Jack quietly, he wasn't going to forget that year "Five years ago now" unaware he was rubbing his shoulder, taking a deep breath as he remembered that night "He was certainly looking at Molls oddly but I think he has a bit of a chip on his shoulder with Gaz" he smirked "Reckons it's all his fault he got pissed and threw up at that school play". Fred and Sam both laughing they had been at that play and it was an absolute shambles and the drama teacher was apoplectic with rage, that the Dawes brothers in his opinion kyboshed the whole thing.
"According to Teflon" started Fred when he finally stopped laughing "He's a bit of a loner, marriage broke down a while back, she went off with his DS once she got pregnant, lives out Watford way" taking a sip of his beer "Had a bit of a thing for trying to bring down Tony, couldn't find enough on him to get him extradited from Spain" he sighed "Too late now, don't matter what he tries to pin on him, Tony ain't gonna care"
Dave spluttered on his drink "What did he want to do that for his bleedin Dad worked for him for bloody years"
"Hasn't had anything to do with them ever since he joined the police, told everyone they were dead by all accounts"
"Well for whatever reason he seems to be looking at us at the moment" huffed Dave "You got Col to be Molly's driver for a while" and Gary nodded in response "I don't want any of you kids getting up to nothing for the foreseeable, till we know what he wants" and giving Gary a steely look "and that includes you and Nicky not pulling off any of your plans"
"But Dad"
"No bleedin buts" barked Dave leaning forward across the table to his son "Let me tell you, a stretch inside ain't a lot of fun" leaning back again and looking around the bar just to check no one was in earshot "the clubs, the yard, the bookies all above board, you hear me" sighing "I know the businesses are all pretty legit these days, but don't think I don't know what the pair of you get up to from time to time"
Both Gary and Jack looked at each other and smirked before turning back to their Dad and nodding
"What about the booze" asked Sam "We are meant to be taking another shipment this week"
"Let it come in but split the load some to the old barn in Essex and the rest to Kent" huffing as he took another drink "At least they won't get all of it if we are being watched" looking towards Sam and Fred "I think if we have enough supplies in the warehouses we put a halt to anymore deliveries for the time being" both Fred and Sam nodded in agreement. "We have no backup if we run stocks down" sighed Sam "But I think that is the best idea while we find out what he he's up to" turning to Fred "Did Teflon say if there was any new investigation into us" and Fred shook his head "Nope but I can ask him to keep his ears open, see if there is a team being set up or whether it's just Baxter on a mission"
"Do you think we should tell Charlie" asked Jack
"Why" retorted Dave "he has nothing to do with the businesses"
"Well," Jack scratched his head still seeing the expression of Tom Baxter as he was looking at Molly "I can't help but think this ain't to do with the business…" He hesitated not sure now if he should say anything, all eyes looking at him, drawing in a breath "I dunno Dad, just a feeling really, I think he's got the hots for our Molls" he shrugged looking down at his nearly empty pint "perhaps he just wants me and Gaz out the way, so we aren't there for sis"
Dave looked at him with wide eyes and an incredulous expression "I know you three are close, my being inside all those years probably helped with that" shaking his head and looking at his boys "but this takes the bleedin biscuit, this ain't a thigh slapping bleedin novel. This is 2003. If he wanted to go out with her, he'd ask and she would tell him to fuck off" looking at Jack "Why go to all that trouble of bringing up that nutbar Artan being missing"
"He did look at her funny Dad" said Gary leaning forward trying to defend his brother "Molly was pretty insistent that when they were in Cyprus Charlie never mentioned he was in the army and yet he knew he was a Captain" jabbing his index finger on the table "If it was about the family business, Molly never played a big part in it so why look into her and the boyfriend"
"I dunno" Dave in a quandary "He's just turned up on the scene, let's just keep things close to our chest, keep Col looking after Molls for a while, whether she likes it or not, I'll speak with her if she gets lairy" signalling to the barmaid for a top up of beers he continued "and we keep the businesses above board until we know what he is up to"
"Do you think it might be worth getting in touch with that lad Dangles, he was shit hot on the new security cameras at the clubs and parlours, you would never know they were there" asked Gary and Dave raised an eyebrow nodding, then grinning "Well if he is watching us, then maybe we could watch him, Jack see if he can find some sort of discrete tracker and get it put on his car, then at least we will know where the fucker is"
All the men grinning as the barmaid walked up with fresh pints "Thanks Bev" grinned Fred and handed her the money "one for yourself" and winked.
"Let's wait see what we find out once the tracker has been installed before telling Charlie" the rest nodded "No need to worry him if there is no need, especially if he is likely to be sent back to Iraq or Afghan again"
-OG-
Dave wasn't wrong when Molly found out she had to have a driver. Jack and her having a blazing row in the kitchen of her and Charles flat.
"He's a bleedin copper, what's he gonna do, chuck me in the boot and kidnap me" she shouted "Don't be fucking stupid"
"He won't if you use Col to drive you everywhere" his sister could be such a bloody pain at times.
"I think Gaz needs to be more worried than me, he gave him a pretty filthy bloody look too, so who is gonna drive him about everywhere" she threw her arms up in the air "Oh no one cos he can look after himself can't he, it's just me that can't look after meself"
-OG-
The weeks and months passed and summer turned to winter. Molly had got quite used to Colin driving her about, they had quite a laugh him filling her in on his young boy's antics and he got to see more of his wife Lilly who ran one of their parlours. The one that they were on their way to at the moment. She sometimes had this feeling she was being watched, made her shiver and look over her shoulder but there was never anyone there. She hadn't seen Tom Baxter since he turned up at the club and she was beginning to think it was all in her brother's imagination.
Teflon had come back to Fred and said that no serious crime or organised crime squad had been set up to look into their business. The tracker that had been fitted, had shown him to be in the vicinity of both the club and the yard. None of them any the wiser why he had suddenly turned up on the scene or what he wanted. But Teflon said he would keep on it.
-OG-
December came and the night of the sections Christmas party, once again in their club as promised by Molly at Georgie and Elvis's wedding. Quietly sitting at the end of the bar unnoticed by anyone, his hands clasping his pint sat Tom Baxter, his eyes moving around the crowded club. All the tables taken and the bar two deep with people standing drinking and laughing, waiting on the show starting. Waiters, bar staff, door men all busy as more people came to this must see show and celebrate with friends and colleagues the seasons festivities. No one noticed him sat there in the corner watching Molly in her off the shoulder black dress moving from table to table smiling broadly and asking if everything was alright with their food. Watching as she sat and chatted with a dark haired girl and he wondered who she was as he hadn't seen her before. A tall dark haired man kissed her on the cheek and got up and went to the bar, standing with Captain James and two other men. They must all be his colleagues, all army he thought.
He had already spotted Jack and Gary sitting at the same table with Molly but they were chatting with the other men sitting there. His mind drifting back to a night when this was a very different club, he had been here with a couple of his mates from Hendon when he had spotted her on the dance floor with her friends. It didn't take long for him to remember her, especially when she went to talk with Gary. He thought she looked beautiful. She hadn't noticed when her mate and her boyfriend went off to the toilets, he couldn't stop watching as he saw her get up to go there too. The look on her face as she came out and he wanted to go talk to her, tell her it would be OK, buy her a drink, get to know her, she certainly needed looking after having drunk all those shots. Her eyes were moving around the room and locked onto his, they looked so sad, so hurt and he wanted to be the one that made her smile again, like she had been on the dancefloor. He was about to do that when she got up and walked out the club. He was so focused on Molly he didn't notice the tall man who also left. That was until he found them, down the side of the army recruitment office kissing.
He felt his hands tighten around his beer glass, he remembered the anger and jealousy he felt, he was the one that saw what happened, it was him that should be comforting her. He did see her from time to time in the club if ever he got the opportunity to come here, it was where he eventually met Vicky. She reminded him of Molly, small, slim, blonde but with blue eyes. But that was where the similarity ended, she was a tart and slept with nearly every one of his police colleagues. Eventually going off with his superior. It had been seeing Molly in Cyprus that brought all those old feelings for her back again. He remembered the way she looked at him on her 18th birthday and knew she had feelings for him. He was the only one that could look after her properly, her family would just get her sent to prison and that Captain, he was surprised he was still on the scene, he was always off somewhere, didn't keep her safe. He had spent ages, since the funeral, finding out that Charles was in the army. Looking at the brothers, especially Gary after what he did when they were at school, if he could just find something to pin on him, get him sent to prison then he wouldn't be able to control Molly and stop them being together.
It was getting late and the club was starting to empty. He took one final look at Molly and smiled, he would have liked to talk with her tonight but she was too busy with the club, hopefully soon though. He walked to the exit and was gone.
-OG-
"I've got this for you" grinned Dangles passing across what looked like a lipstick "Saw it online and thought of you"
"Thanks, I think" she laughed looking at the shocking pink lipstick case and taking off the lid, her eyes widening when she didn't see the expected lipstick but two buttons one green and one red. "What is it"
"Green button gives you a torch" grinning widely himself "Red button, packs a punch"
She couldn't help but press it and saw the spark and heard the hiss "Shit is this a stun gun" and Dangles nodded grinning "Not strictly legal in this country so keep it hidden, but powerful enough to drop them long enough for you to get away" he sighed "But don't think it's like the movies, you need to hold this for 3 to 5 seconds, it will drop him but not for long" he looked at her shoes and grinned "So take them bloody heels off and leg it"
"What with the kiyoga that Col gave me I have more armoury in me bleedin handbag than you had when you was in the army" giggling and trying to sound unconcerned
"Have you told the Boss about it yet" he had been medically discharged from the army for nearly a year but still couldn't help calling his old Captain, Boss.
It was a year since he had been in this club, when he had been on heavy meds, wondering what his future would hold. Sitting there with Dave, Fred and Jack. Dave really sympathetic, first person that seemed to really listen to him and how he felt about losing his leg. Listened when he said he had always hoped to move into the Engineer regiments, work with computers and electronics. They had a long conversation about security and camera's. Dave offering to pay for any courses he would need to get up to speed. They had a security firm so had clients that sometimes wanted extra security installed, themselves included. It would mean he had to keep up to date with all the technology. He was able to keep living at home in Aston but just came down to quote on jobs. He had done all the cameras here, and updated the security at the yard. He was a little bit shocked when Dave asked about tracking devices, but he wasn't a fool. Everything to date had been legal, security for the business, even recommended him to some of their friends and he had set up the security systems for quite a few people and clubs now. He had been on courses, been given a top of the range computer to keep up to date and do the quotes, was earning a wage. So getting that tracker and sticking it on that coppers car wasn't strictly legal, but what would he have been doing now if it hadn't been for Dave giving him this job. He actually enjoyed the work, was on a good wage and as most of the work was down here in London could even consider moving down this way if he wanted.
Molly shook her head at his question "Nah not yet, he goes on exercise in January so not much he can do from there and no point in worrying him about something that we are not even sure about yet"
"Your Dad and Gary think it's you he's following"
"Well I ain't seen him" she huffed "So between you and Col stop trying to put the willies up me.