Part 12
"You're sure this guy will do?"
Amy nodded, regarding Peck critically as he sat fidgeting nervously at the other side of the table. "He fits the bill perfectly – young, ambitious, single, clever, ambitious!"
Peck nodded slowly. "Because if this goes wrong, it's his butt on the line as well as mine. I don't want any innocent into this situation. Dammit this is a mistake!"
"Easy, Face. I know you don't like involving anybody else, putting them at risk, but Simon knows the score – he's willing to accept it."
Peck snorted, looked away across the restaurant, not seeing any of the other clientele or the staff, not seeing anything at all. He was drawn tight, his muscles aching and the adrenaline thrumming through the whole of his body. He was on the jazz but he did not relish having to involve an outside party into the plan. He feared losing control, feared introducing an outside influence, a further risk; too many avenues for disaster stretched before him.
"Face," Amy's voice was calm. She reached across and laid a gentle hand on his taunt arm, felt his tension, and tried to bring him support. "It's OK. You've done all you can. Let Simon take it from here."
As if on cue the tall, dark haired journalist came back into sight as he weaved his way around the tables from the restroom. He was a cool one, this guy, even taking the time to wink suggestively at a waitress as he passed. Peck noted the corresponding smile on the pretty blonde's face and remembered with a flash of pain when it had been like that for him too.
Simon Laycock, hunk journalist and friend of Amy Allen grinned arrogantly as he sat back at the table beside her. "So do I pass?" he asked conceited brown eyes boring in to Peck.
"It isn't about passing anything, Simon," Amy butted in. "Face is just worried about putting you at risk."
"And I appreciate it, but for this story, I would risk anything. Man, I need this!"
Peck took a long swig of his mineral water, feeling suddenly very sad; had he ever been that young, that confident, that sure of himself? Of course he had! Or at least he had found it easy to appear that way for his audience. He stared at Laycock minutely and wondered if it was all an act; was quivering inside like a stranded jellyfish? It didn't really matter either way as long as the kid could pull it off. And looking deep into those brown eyes Peck could see the hunger, sense the wanting there. It appeared that Simon Laycock was gagging for this!
"OK," Peck conceded softly. His hand went to the bluff envelope he had kept on his lap for the whole meeting. He lifted it and placed it carefully down on the table equi-distant between himself and the yearning journalist.
Laycock licked his lips, his desire dripping off him, his eyes flashing from Peck's steely blue ones to the envelope greedily. He reached out a grasping hand but before he could draw it back with the prize Peck's hand was on top of his.
"It'll change your life, Simon," Peck said softly but firmly. "Break this story and things will never be the same again. You'll never be the same again. You'll never be able to sit out like this in public without fearing a cold bullet that could end it all, without wondering who is behind you, who is coming close. I lived over ten years on the run; I know what its like. Is that what you really want?"
Laycock looked up at him, eyes wide with desire and something else. "I want the fame and I want the glory," he said honestly. "The rest I can live with."
Peck held the stare for a long heartbeat. Amy looked like she was at a tennis match, her head bobbing back and forth between the men. The tension of the moment was palpable. Then with a long sigh and a tight smile, Peck lifted his hand.
Laycock drew in the envelope and ripped it open. He took out the contents – photographs, printouts and documents – he glanced at them all thirstily; drinking in sparse drops of the torrent of information that would make him great.
"It's all there," Peck stated. "Times, dates, all the evidence that you need to nail Laura Stepford." He shook his head. "It's gonna sell one hell of a lot of papers!"
Laycock smiled broadly. "And make me rich!" His eyes sparked covetously. "You got to let me pay you for this."
Peck grinned, remembering the long hours he and Murdock had spent piecing together the evidence – hacking into computer systems, staking out meetings, photographing, cataloguing; it had all taken a lot of time and patience but in the end they had enough evidence to send Lorelei away for a very long time, just as Murdock had promised they would. They had debated then how to engineer the fall, finally deciding that the media was the only way. Peck had contacted Amy for help. He was insistent that she was not to be the one to break the story because of the danger it would place her and her family in. But she had known a young, up and coming reporter, Simon Laycock, and Face had agreed that he could be the right man for the job. The evidence would be placed in the public domain before Lorelei could make any move to keep it hidden.
"Payment is seeing Lorelei go down," Peck responded. "That's all I need."
Laycock reached out a hand. "Thanks Mr Peck," he said firmly. "You won't be disappointed."
"I hope not."
Laycock stood up, holding the precious envelope close to his chest. "I got a deadline to meet," he said. "You coming, Amy?"
"Sure." Peck stood up and she turned to hug him close. "Get Murdock and go a long way away from here, Face; you don't want to be around when this hits!"
"I know."
She took a long look at him, trying to force away the awful sense of impending doom that his closeness brought her. "Look after yourself," she whispered.
"You too, Amy," he responded and she was gone.
Peck remained at the table as he finished his drink. The jazz was still rushing through him as he threw payment on to the table and made his way out of the restaurant.
Walking across the parking lot he sensed a car pulling up behind him. He turned to see Murdock in the Viper. The pilot rolled his eyes. "Want a lift, gorgeous?" he called.
"Don't mind if I do!" Peck replied flashing his smile as he climbed into the passenger seat. "How come you're driving my car again?" he asked as he fiddled with the seat belt.
Murdock shrugged and attempted no answer, instead his thoughts were on the business conducted in the restaurant. "Is it done?" he asked.
Face nodded. "Amy's friend is one ambitious lad," he mused.
"You think he's clean?"
It was Peck's turn to shrug. "Damned if I know, my alarm bells have been ringing constantly for a week at least. What did you do with the copies?"
"Relax, muchado. All safe, all secure!" Murdock pulled the Viper out into the traffic. "So where now?"
Peck let out a long, tired sigh. "I really don't know any more. Is it really over, Murdock?"
"Not yet a while, buddy but its out of our hands – we've done what we can. Relax – we're almost home free."
"Thanks, Murdock."
"For what?"
"Oh just everything; helping me through this. Stopping me from doing something really stupid… for just being there, I guess."
Murdock smiled. "Hey, you're a special guy, Templeton Peck and I'd do anything for you." He rested his hand on Peck's knee and squeezed it gently. But his smile suddenly froze on his lips. "Don't look behind us."
Peck stiffened, sensing the pilot's disquiet as the strong urge to do exactly what he had been told not to rushed through him. "Why?"
"Sedan behind; been following us for a couple of blocks. Might be nothing but…."
Peck fidgeted nervously in his seat. "You think its Lorelei's style?"
"Let's see shall we?" Murdock gently increased the speed of the Viper, the sedan behind did likewise. Murdock eased off the gas and came to a stop at the red lights in front of them. "Reckon he's company," he muttered. "Here he comes!"
The sedan pulled out into the lane beside them and the window came down.
"Westwood!" Peck spat as he saw the familiar features. As the green light flashed on in front of them, he shouted, "Hit it Murdock!"
Murdock gunned the motor and the Viper leapt forwards. "What was that about being home free?" Peck asked.
"No sweat, buddy. He's got a sedan, we got a Viper – I know where I'm gonna put my money. Tighten your seat belt and hold on – this is where it gets exciting!"
They screeched around corners and whirled passed cars, Murdock fighting the wheel and Peck gripping the door handle tightly as he glanced back over his shoulder at the omnipresent sedan. "You're not losing him," he muttered.
"Thanks for the commentary," Murdock spat through gritted teeth. "Just up here if I'm not mistaken…"
Murdock swung the Viper into an alleyway with a squeal of tyres and let out a loud curse as he was forced to jam on the brakes. Peck was thrown forwards in his seat. "Oh just great!" he groaned as he saw another black sedan coming straight at them down the alley. Murdock threw the Viper into reverse but already the first car had turned into the alley and blocked off their escape. "Now I know why Hannibal always let BA drive!" Peck quipped humourlessly.
A number of black suited individuals were climbing out of the cars and moving towards them menacingly.
"Hi Westwood, Thomas," Peck smiled blandly as the two familiar heavies came to a stop beside his door. "It's been a long time – I hope you're keeping well!"
Westwood's features were cracked into his omnipresent idiotic grin whereas Thomas retained his distaining distance. "What a nice welcome," he growled. "But it don't make no difference. Lady wants to see you!"
Peck let out a sigh of mock relief and rolled his eyes. "A lady?" he repeated. "Why didn't you say? I thought it was Lorelei you boys worked for, but a lady? You've gone up in the world?"
"Funny, real funny but we ain't laughing, Peck!" Thomas leaned into the car and took hold of Peck's shirt. "Come on and bring your monkey too! We need to finish this for once and for all!"
"Monkey?" Murdock chirped indignantly. "Who the hell are you calling a monkey, you big gorilla?"
After being handcuffed they were forced into the back of a sedan and driven to railway sidings on the edge of town. "Get out," Westwood ordered.
Stiffly the pair eased themselves out slowly. "Gee trains!" Peck said sarcastically. "Where are we going?"
Murdock turned around on the spot, his mouth curling into a bad tempered pout. "I need my numbers book!" he whined. "So many engine numbers and I'm missing them all!"
Peck cocked a sceptical eyebrow at his friend. "Murdock, you're a train spotter?" he asked his voice edged with disbelief. "All this time and I never knew, never even suspected!"
Murdock hung his head. "It's my guilty secret. If you tell anyone about it Face, I shall have to kill you!"
"That won't be necessary," Westwood cut in, pushing Peck forwards. "It's already been arranged. Now cut the crap and get moving." He looked over his shoulder to where Thomas was pushing the pilot. "One of them was bad enough but both of them giving it some lip is just goddamn annoying!" he grumbled despondently.
They stumbled over the tracks, passing some deserted wagons and up a slight hillock. The sun was high in the sky, bouncing off the dusty landscape and the shafts of metal that had been dumped around the yard. Silhouetted against the bright light and standing waiting at the top of the hill, Peck could make out three figures. He squinted, trying to see their features but his eyes watered and he could not focus on them well enough.
"That's far enough!" Westwood's voice stopped them. And a well placed push in their backs forced them both to their knees.
"Well, well, well." A female voice came from above. "I've waited a long time for this sweet moment; not only Templeton Peck but his flyboy lover too – both at my feet in the dust."
"Lorelei!" Peck spat.
"Who else?" She stepped forward and moved to stand in front of him. Reaching down with perfectly manicured fingers she took hold and lifted his chin until their eyes met. "Are you scared, Templeton? Because you should be!"
He let out a ragged breath and tried to look away, refusing to be drawn. "Here is where it all ends." She continued as she looked around. "A fitting place for a little piece of shit to finally be squashed underfoot, don't you think?"
Peck could sense Murdock tensing beside him. He licked his lips nervously and prayed his voice would not reveal his fear. "It's over," he said bravely. "Give it up Lorelei. Killing me won't save you. We've put things in motion, we've got a plan and it's going to come together whether I'm here or not. There is no escape!"
She laughed then, throwing her head back, a strangely carefree sound which echoed over the barren wasteland. "You have a plan!" she mocked. "Do you really think I didn't know what you were doing? What your pathetic little plan entailed? Did you really think you could outwit me? Me?"
She reached down again and grabbed Peck by the collar. He gagged painfully as she pulled him to his feet. "A plan! Let me show you what a real plan looks like, like me introduce you to the intricate parts of my plan!"
He staggered behind her, she pulled him up to the top of the dirt hill as she continued talking. "You see, Templeton, you have never been out of my sight, never off my radar. I have tracked you since the last time you escaped me because this time I wanted to be sure, sure you would not walk away from me again. I made sure I knew everything about you." Roughly she pulled his head up so he could see the face of the figure in front of him. "I'd introduce you to Robby Blake but I think you've already met!"
"Robby?" Peck's voice was little more than a moan as his eyes flashed betrayal.
Blake gulped. "I'm sorry, Peck," he began. "I really like you and I'm still thankful for you did for me in the shower but I've been in her pay all along…" He shrugged and looked away from Peck's penetrating stare.
"You really need to sort out who you can trust, Templeton," Lorelei laughed. "All that delicious info you spilled out into luscious Robby's ears and it all came straight back to me. I didn't even have to bug you to find it all out this time. That motor mouth of yours just blubbered off out of control!"
Her face suddenly lost all humour then, becoming as stern as stone. She reached out and slapped Peck's cheek hard, his head slammed back with the force of it.
With a growl Murdock tried to get to his feet but Westwood pushed the gun into his chest and stopped his upward motion. Lorelei turned to regard the pilot spitefully. "Be patient," she ordered. "You are going to die too. You deserve it! You interfered with my plan. You stopped little Templeton listening to the poisonous plot that Robby was whispering in his ear. It would have been such fun to see him on trail for attempted murder – such entertainment for me and you denied me!" As she spoke she turned back towards Peck and pulled him forwards again. "So the pilot dies too but not until I've let him watch the life drip out of your sorry carcass, Templeton! But first, I have one more surprise for you." The second figure stepped into Peck's line of vision and the con man's stomach twisted. He let out a deep groan of despair as Lorelei laughed. "Simon Laycock may be an ambitious journalist but he was my junkie long before then, weren't you Simon?"
Laycock nodded and Peck saw the longing in his dull eyes once more – it was a sign all right, not of burning ambition, but of stultifying addiction. Despite the hot sun Peck shuddered as Lorelei continued, "I have always owned him and he gives me what I want; like envelopes full of incriminating evidence, for one more fix." She turned back to Peck. "Such a shame because you and the flyboy worked so hard. Pity you never understood the power of the organisation you were fighting. You underestimated me all along, Templeton, and now it's time to pay. Get down on your knees!"
Peck felt strong arms pressing him down into the dust once more. He looked up desperately, his heart thumping in his chest. "Don't kill Murdock," he said. "Do what you like to me, I don't matter but this doesn't include him – it never did! It was only ever you and me, Lorelei!"
She laughed outrageously. "Oh, how rich! You are begging me, Templeton! You are down on your knees, hands cuffed behind your back and begging me! How I wish my father was alive to see this! Come on, you're supposed to have a silver tongue; surely you can do better than this. Put your heart and soul into it for your man!"
Peck was shuddering but he forced his voice to remain as calm as he could. "Do what you like with me but don't hurt Murdock…. please…. I beg you!"
She nodded, tongue protruding over her lips slightly and her eyes flashing with excitement. "You really mean it, don't you? Oh you have read me so wrong all along. Do you really believe I have enough human kindness in my soul to listen to your pathetic pleas? Pitiful, pretty boy, just pitiful!"
She reached across and took hold of a revolver from Westwood, then she stood in front of the kneeling Peck. "But you will never know just what I am going to do to your flyboy, Peck, because I've had enough of silly games. You bore me now and I will finish it." She cocked the trigger and the noise echoed loudly. Peck gulped as she raised the gun to his head.
He closed his eyes squeezing them tightly together, fighting to remain still and emotionless – he would remain strong, he would not give her the pleasure of seeing him collapse into weakness as the memories flooded through him.
And the memories were vivid and bleak and terrifying. He remembered a similar scene, he recalled being on his knees in the mud of Vietnam and the VC Captain holding the cold gun barrel to his forehead…. the infinite wait… the freezing fear deep in his bowels….. the inevitable ending.
"Say goodbye, Templeton!" Lorelei hissed.
TBC
