Chapter 78

Betts and the Woodcutter lowered themselves to join Mavis, the Tower Captain, Natalia and David, who had all already descended the belfry ladders and walked across to the meeting room adjoining the ringing chamber.

Both Betts and the Woodcutter were surprised by the number of individuals in the room. Gathered together were a mixed group of people who were mostly in their late middle age. Betts and the Woodcutter took in the greying hair, the hands adjusting spectacles, the audience locating their seats for the meeting. Above all, there was the constant shuffling of impatience which pervaded the assembled throng.

You could also feel that a clear excitement hung in the air about being within the gathered number, within this seemingly select group. The two men viewed every person from the entrance door located at a ninety degree angle to the layout of the room. They noticed the top table facing the chairs, the only furnishings of the room, and all of the attendees who were very ready for the meeting to begin.

Betts and the Woodcutter took the empty couple of seats nearest to the door and waited attentively for the Portsmouth Cathedral Tower Captain to begin. The Tower Captain stood up from behind the centre of the top table. He was a man who naturally held an audience captive as he had an air of authority. His mannerisms intrigued and fascinated and left you wanting more. Confident, assertive and projecting the cut and thrust of what they were all here for. How much money were they going to make? When would they receive it? What would they all have to do to ensure the utmost secrecy and that the supply reached all the necessary parts of the country?

The group had come together from far and wide with Tower Captains persuaded to come on board from all parts of the United Kingdom. These regional area representatives would store the supply easily within their towers and the storage was discreet. Whoever checked belfries, ringing chambers and other areas within towers apart from the ringers themselves? The first trial of the system had worked well. So well that the supply was to increase fivefold. The stock on the Islander would cover the pensions of all in the room with money to spare.

The Spanish lady with the dark hair stood up and oozed annoyance. She took the assembled party through how the cocaine was put together as a paste in the jungle rainforest. How she received the packages in Lima once they had travelled across the barren heights of Bolivia by 4x4 vehicle; the onward route by llama trains over the Andes through to the warehouses of the sea port. She reiterated the blood, sweat and tears sacrificed for the supply. She took her rapt audience through the loss of life on this trip alone, the reduced number of packages provided by the original tribal people due to issues with Government forces in Bolivia. She demanded more money for the supply otherwise none of those present would be receiving any cut whatsoever. Natalia returned to her seat having shocked those listening into a deadly silence.

The organ started to play in the distant body of the Cathedral. It signalled that there were only fifteen minutes to the morning service and then the joyous sound of the bells would peal out. The bells would wake those who were snoozing and reminded the remainder that Sunday had truly begun.

The Tower Captain’s face was pale. Normally a larger than life character, this was most unusual. His face had completely drained of blood, leaving him appearing slightly nauseous. His other half, Mavis, put her hand on his forearm, pinching him gently between her finger and thumb. He seemed to come round out of his ghost like trance. “Yes, we will increase your fee, Natalia, but we need to see the stock first. It is imperative that it is distributed successfully to all gathered here. This is only fair.”

Natalia was not in a position to argue. Without her brothers acting as her personal henchmen she would have to employ others to carry out any physical work that was required. She accepted the Tower Captain’s words, and the whole mood of the room lifted. The Tower Captain and Natalia completed pre-prepared draft documentation that would be fully agreed once the stock had been tested by the Tower Captain’s organisation. Natalia commented that, as the first stage of business had been completed, she would be on her way.

With that, all the eyes of the room watched carefully as Natalia confidently left the room, as discreetly and swiftly as she had arrived. Betts quickly made his excuses and dashed out behind her and all those within the meeting returned to the multitude of queries regarding how the supply routes would work and when each of them would receive their proportion of the stock.