It had taken twenty minutes for Jo to get through to the hospital and another five to assure the ward clerk she was who she said she was. Only then did she learn that the boys were still critical but stable. She wasn’t sure whether to take heart from that or be terrified it meant they weren’t going to recover.
By the time she’d finished the call, Spanners had arrived and was talking to Saira up the road. Jo risked flashing her headlights and the two walked briskly to the car. Saira got in the front, and Spanners in the back.
‘Hi. I’m Jo. We’ve met before,’ she said over her shoulder.
‘Yeah, I remember. I heard it was you who got me arrested, so this better be good.’
‘No, you did that. Forget about it though. Can you help save two boys’ lives?’
‘Your boys. Sorry to hear that.’
Jo turned to Saira. ‘I see you’ve brought him up to speed?’
‘I thought it would save time.’
Jo nodded. ‘Shown him the photo?’ 307
‘Yep.’
‘And can we trust him?’
Spanners interrupted. ‘I am here you know. Yes, you can. Despite you getting me nicked, I need help to get out of this shitstorm I’m in so, for now, I’m all yours.’
‘Do you know the guy?’ Jo showed him the picture.
‘I’ve seen him about. Not sure I’ve ever spoken to him. Not properly like, but we are on nodding terms.’
‘Good, good. So, do you think you can get in there and coax him out?’
‘What, so you can nick him? I’m not happy about that. I’d be known as a grass for ever.’
‘No, we’re not going to nick him,’ said Jo, leaving ‘yet’ off the end of the sentence.
‘What are you going to do then?’
‘We need to speak to him. Urgently.’
Spanners didn’t reply, then, as if a lightbulb had appeared above his head, he smiled. ‘I’ve got an idea.’
Jo and Saira exchanged glances. ‘Go on.’
‘Well, from what Saira told me, this bloke has come to Brighton on the same terms as the rest of us. He’s completed his task, so now he should be looking over his shoulder as it won’t be long until they deal with him like they have everyone else. I’m on borrowed time too, you know.’
‘And not just from them,’ added Jo. ‘What’s your idea?’
‘He needs a reason to come with me. I’ll make him think the time is up for both of us but that I’ve found someone to get us away.’
‘What if he’s not in there?’ said Saira.
‘Let’s worry about that later,’ said Jo. ‘Off you go then and don’t be long. We may not have much time.’
Spanners got out of the car and walked across the square. Jo could only see him standing at the door, not how he managed to get in, but in a second he was out of sight.
‘You reckon he’ll do it?’ said Jo. 308
Saira shrugged. ‘He’s our best chance.’
Jo said nothing but bit her lip, watching the car clock tick over.
Eight minutes later, two figures darted from the squat door, and in thirty seconds were sat behind Jo and Saira.
‘This is Terry,’ said Spanners. ‘I’ve told him you’re going to save his life.’
As Dr Blaketon fell, Sir Ben glared at Tony then went to the medic, checking for wounds.
‘Trevor, are you OK?’
‘He’s OK,’ said Tony, ‘which is more than I can say for your bathroom tiles.’
‘Boys. Has one of you dropped something?’ came Audrey’s voice from the bedroom.
‘It’s OK, Mum, nothing to worry about.’ Sir Ben turned to Tony. ‘What the fuck are you playing at?’
‘He just needed a reminder that he’s not in charge.’
Sir Ben stood up, then dragged the quaking doctor to his feet. ‘He’s a nutter, a fucking nutter,’ said Dr Blaketon, his eyes streaming and his whole body still shaking as he supported himself against the shower cubicle, rubbing his ears.
Sir Ben stared Tony down, then said to Blaketon, ‘You need to learn to do as you’re told, when you’re told. Next time it’ll be more than the decor with a hole in it. Now are you going to do what you’re here to do or what?’
Not for the first time, Sir Ben could have punched Tony’s lights out as he caught a glimpse of his smirk out of the corner of his eye.
‘Do I have any choice?’
‘That’s the spirit. Now what do you need to do?’
The doctor ran his hands through his hair. ‘Is there somewhere we can go?’ he said as he scanned round the dust-covered bathroom.
Sir Ben led them into the bedroom and back out the door to the landing. ‘Won’t be long, Mum,’ he said as they left.
Once they were downstairs, they assembled around the office table. 309
Dr Blaketon still looked as white as milk as he sat opposite Sir Ben, whose eardrums screamed still. Now was not the time to ask for a medical opinion. ‘As I say, what do you need to do?’
‘The first thing is to issue a fit to fly certificate?’
Tony piped up for the first time. ‘Fit to fly? She’s not going easyJet, you know.’
Trevor kept his sights on Sir Ben. ‘Fit to fly is not a blanket declaration. I need to consider the facilities and support she will get in the air ambulance and certify her according to her health and their ability to look after her. You say you have an air ambulance on standby.’
‘Yes, CareFly. They specialise in long-haul medical evacuations. The CEO is a chum of mine.’
‘Of course he is,’ muttered Tony.
Trevor and Sir Ben snapped their heads round. ‘Tony, stick to what you’re good at and keep quiet while we sort this out.’ Sir Ben turned back to Trevor, who looked terrified. ‘So, issue the certificate and get her ready, I’ll put in the call to CareFly.’
‘It’s not as simple as that.’
Tony twitched but Sir Ben’s reproachful glare settled him back down. ‘What do you need?’
‘I need to examine her, then speak with the lead physician who’ll be accompanying her to discuss how they will care for her for, what, eight, nine hours in the sky? That really is the bare minimum for me to issue the certificate.’
‘Great. Get on with it then.’
‘I need to warn you of something first …’
Sir Ben stood up. ‘No, no more warnings.’
Dr Blaketon remained seated, the only one of the three who did. ‘I’m sorry, I do need to spell this out to you, and your mother too.’
Sir Ben sat back down. ‘My mother? You have seen her this morning. She has no idea whether it’s breakfast time or Christmas Day.’
‘I’m sorry, Ben, but capacity fluctuates. If we can speak to her in a lucid 310moment, I have to find out how she is and whether she consents to the journey.’
‘I’ve had enough of this,’ said Tony as he pulled the gun out again, raising his aim to Trevor.
‘Put it down and disappear,’ said Sir Ben just as it looked like Trevor was about to empty his bowels.
Tony flounced out of the room.
‘Just say she consents. We haven’t got time.’
‘I won’t do that. I need to prepare her for the flight in any case and I can hardly do that without talking to her.’
Sir Ben realised that arguing would only prolong things. ‘Just do what you have to but, whatever she says, you will certify her and you will make sure she’s ready to go as soon as the road ambulance arrives. And, before you get any other ideas in your head, I will be there when you speak to her. Wait here while I put the call in.’
Sir Ben stepped outside and saw Tony pacing the hallway. ‘Not everything has to be a fight, you know,’ he said as he walked past.
‘Maybe not, but my way does focus minds.’
Sir Ben ignored the backchat and headed for the kitchen.
The first call was to his director of finance. The tax-free threshold for a director’s loan was £10,000, so the amount Sir Ben was demanding would require not only shrouding in labyrinthine accounting measures but a potentially eye-watering debt to His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs. That was for the future and others to sort out. His only concern now was to get his mother on the plane and to doctors who had the skills and bottle to make her last few years worth living. This was in her best interests. Thankfully, the director was well used to Sir Ben’s demands, and only too aware that he’d pulled so many financial strokes in the past that if Sir Ben went down, he went too.
The money sorted, he now had the leverage to mobilise the road and air ambulances. The end of his nightmares was on the horizon.