Chapter 17 – Turnaround

Conway pulled into the airport forcefully, the van fighting his every direction.

"Piece of shit" he murmured, the muffles from the back distracting him.

"Would you shut the fuck up?" he shouted, hitting the brakes hard. He heard the man roll around in the back, thumping into the metal wall. He then pulled off forcefully again, sending the body back the other way.

Conway stroked his chin as he continued up the main drag of the airport, construction workers nodding to him as he drove past. He turned the black van right and drove onto a landing strip into a position where he could be seen from the sky. Helicopter would be the fastest way of getting everyone home together he thought, fingering his phone.

He pulled up and got out of the van, pacing in the low light. The evening was cool, a slight breeze washing over his grizzled face. He stood for a second, resting against the bonnet of the van, the days events rushing through his head. The interrogation, the shoot-out, the fire… all flooded through his mind, distracting him away from the flashing light shining against the stars. He could feel the wind pick up as he daydreamed, the ear-piercing sound shattering his thoughts. His mind refocused as he watched the chopper land, the zebra patterned vehicle, sleek and deadly. Conway studied it, something not feeling right. He drew his Desert Eagle and ran up to the pilot's entrance.

He burst into the cabin, and pushed the gun against the man's head.

"Who the fuck are you?" he shouted, the rotor blades dying down.

"I'm…I'm Francis!" screamed the man, the sudden outburst hadn't been in the plan.

"Where the fuck is the normal pilot? Where's Oz?"

"He's on vacation man, just don't shoot me!"

Conway lowered the gun, shaking his head. The phone call he'd made earlier had rattled him.

"Alright then. We're in for a bit of a rough trip but just stay calm and don't panic. No matter what happens, you do as I say. Got it?" he demanded.

"Got it. Where's the cargo?"

Conway drew out his phone and typed in the message quickly. He waited for the message to clear and pocketed the device.

"On its way…"

x

Francis watched as Conway got back into the back of the van, shutting the doors behind him. He quickly grabbed his phone and dialled a number.

"Kraze?" he called, waiting for a response.

"Yeah Mike?"

"I'm at the airport and have made contact. Miguel is actually meeting him here. The suspect is Yakuza, the one who stole the money. He hasn't even told me where we are going yet so…hold on, I got to go. I can see headlights."

"OK, radio in soon. We'll plan around then"

Francis switched off the phone and pocketed it, watching the prowling Infernus pull up feet away from the van. Conway jumped out, running over to the car.

Moments later, the door of the helicopter opened, a blonde girl holding it as the two men dumped a body in the back. Francis watched as Conway jumped into the co-pilots seat, a briefcase by his feet. The inspector leaned in and whispered the location into the pilot's ear. Francis nodded and hit the control panel, starting up the rotors. Within minutes, the helicopter was off, leaving the bitter city behind…

Conway continued his daydream as the helicopter sliced through the sky. Miguel and Lucie were silent in the back, both clearly in worlds of their own. Miguel was still confused as to how Conway had gotten hold of the money. Francis banked the helicopter to the right and slowed the machine down, hovering above a high-rise. He gently landed the machine, watching as the hookers and drug dealers scampered.

"Come on bitch, stop fucking about" shouted Conway, the rotors still turning. Francis watched as Miguel and the girl got out of the helicopter, waiting for Conway.

"Here," said Conway, handing Francis the briefcase, "take this and the body back to this address. I'll call in later"

"Sure thing. What you going to do with them?" Francis quizzed. He had tried to sound loose; he wanted to see if Conway would take the bait. Conway eyed him carefully, his eyes piercing into Francis'.

"I'm going to call in a car, see if I can take them for a trip. They've got some things there going to help us with"

"Sure" said Francis nodding. He waited until Conway had left before engaging the helicopter's systems, taking off at speed. He waited until he was a bit further away before drawing his phone, switching it on quickly.

"Tash? It's on. He's going to call in a car. Get Rafa ready…"

x

The two freelancers stood nervously in the barn, the bound Rafa brought forward so he sat near the main console. Natasha stood behind him, a pistol pushed into his neck. Zed suddenly jumped as the light came on, indicating a call. He picked up the handset and held it to Rafa's ear.

"Rafa?" came the voice of Conway from the other end, "I need a car sent to Hepburn Heights"

Natasha jabbed the pistol lightly, "Sure thing," squeaked Rafa, "It's on its way. Um, thought you might like an update on Luca"

"Yeah, go for it," Conway's voice dropped.

Zed began to sweat. This is where it could all go wrong. He caught Borgaman's gaze as he sat a little way away from them. He felt a chill go down his spine.

"The little prick took a while to take down," Rafa lied, "but he soon cracked. We roughed him up a bit, so he's co-operating a bit more. You want us to take care of him? Or finish him?"

Natasha sighed with relief, and she gently relaxed the pistol so it wasn't stabbing the officer anymore.

"Take care, I'll talk to you later," said Conway covertly, "Hurry up with that car, unmarked preferably."

The phone died as Conway had cancelled the call.

"Good boy" said Natasha, removing the pistol. Rafa's chest began to pound as his clothes soaked themselves in sweat.

"Call in the car" growled Borgaman, a wry smile forming on his lips…

x

Miguel watched as Conway bickered with Jackson, the Karuma having pulled up not so long ago. He glanced at Lucie, the pissed off attitude hardening her face. He eventually plucked up the courage to ask the question as he watched another woman getting mugged on the street.

"Where are we going?" said Miguel finally.

"You see all this hotshot? You see Liberty in all it's glory?" Conway said calmly, staring dead ahead, "I've spent years trying to fix this city. After all the shit that happened with the Leones, the Forellis and the Sindaccos, all the small time gangs, all the lowlife scum and all the wannabe gangsters, I tried to fucking fix this city" he said, the car pulling off the road into a lot. "Do you love your wife Miguel?" he asked, Jackson parking in a bay. He turned around to face Miguel, his calculating eyes ice cold. "Well? Do you?"

"Yes" Miguel replied sternly, glancing around at his surrounding. He could see a couple of cars and a van all parked. There was no-one around.

"Would you do anything to get her back?"

"Yes" he answered, swallowing hard.

"I would have as well. I miss my wife, and I miss my daughters. Of all the big time mobsters in this city, all of the big names, it's you who takes them. It's you who took the wrong step."

"You know I didn't…"

"Shut up. I don't fall for your bullshit."

"But I didn't kill your…"

"You wouldn't want the blood of your hands. Not your style. So yeah, you probably right, you didn't kill them. But I bet you ordered them dead. Now shut the fuck up and listen Miguel," Conway ordered, glancing at Lucie. He'd noticed her hand reaching for her belt, the black pistol tucked safely away. He moved his jacket aside, the Desert Eagle ever present. A gentle reminder why not to fuck with him.

"Now, I could kill you, both of you," Conway said, licking his lip, "But the pleasure would be only short lived. And then I'd have Madden to deal with too. Or we could go through with this deal and you'd still probably be killed. And I don't want that" Conway got closer to Miguel, his eyes piercing into Miguel's mind, "I want you to rot in prison motherfucker. I want you to rot, right where I can see you. I'm going to have you roughed up, tortured, beaten until you wish I'd killed you. I'm a man of choices Miguel and I'm making the decision. Do I kill you now," he said, pulling his gun, "Or do I have you killed later? Decisions…" he raised the gun, levelling it at Miguel's head, "Decisions…" Sweat began to form on Miguel's face, the gun barrel inches from his face, "Decisions…" The gun fired, unleashing its deadly payload, the eruption exploding around the empty car lot. The sound of the bullet connecting with bone pierced through the wind, echoing through the busy town, being heard from miles around. The body slumped, blood spattered all over the back window.

Conway breathed gently, his face emotionless, his eyes glazed over…