He’s been stuck at the removal company premises keeping an eye on things all through the night but nothing happened. Someone eventually turned up to take over.
Every so often he’s been checking via his phone connected to the camcorder, to see what has been going on at the old car showroom. So far everything is quiet.
Now he has a plan to rescue the girls. He is imagining how grateful they will be when he frees them from the kidnappers. But he doesn’t have much time.
He thought of his friend… well, more of an associate, Lagan, with his connections to certain people that normally Daniel wouldn’t want anything to do with.
When Daniel first arrived in Trentbridge, Lagan offered him work but not the sort he was interested in. But he could use his help again now. He never expected to speak with him again but Daniel knew Lagan could help.
“Hello Lagan. It’s Daniel. Daniel Zugravescu.”
There is a slight pause as if he doesn’t recognise the name.
“Oh yes, I remember you, my friend. How did it go with the girls? Did you meet them at The Alley Club?
“That’s not why I’m calling. I need to buy something.”
“Sure. Cocaine? Crack? Ecstasy?”
“No. No. Not drugs. I need to buy a gun.”
“And what makes you think I can help?”
“You know those sorts of people, right?”
“Is this a trap?”
“No. You have my word.”
“Look, I’m not sure on this. I’ll make to make a couple of calls.”
For the next hour, Daniel is pacing up and down, waiting for the return call. Suddenly his phone rings.
“Have you got two grand to spare?”
“What? That much?”
“If you want what you said. And pay me a ten per cent finder’s fee.”
“Okay. I can do that.”
“And you’ll need to go to Bristol to collect it.”
“How far is that?”
“About three hours.”
“I need it fast.”
“That’s the best I can do. Take it or leave it.”
“Okay, okay. I’ll take it. What do I need to do?”
“Bring the fee over to my place and I’ll give you the details.”
The car Daniel hired to visit the airport is due back this morning. He calls Perry’s car rental and pays to extend the hire for another twenty-four hours.
If he left now he could be in Bristol around lunchtime and then hopefully back by about 5 or 6pm.
He goes to his bank and draws out £2,500 in cash. He figures it might be wise to have some spare, just in case.
It is 10.30 when he sets off from Lagan’s apartment, following the route on his phone satnav down to Bristol.
The instructions Lagan gave him said to drive to a place called Loxton Square and call the mobile number Lagan texted to his phone.
At 1.45pm Daniel parks up on the square and calls the number. It goes to voicemail.
“Leave a message and I’ll return your call. Maybe.”
Daniel is starting to panic.
His phone rings.
The voice on the other end is deep. “Yeah.”
“My name is Daniel. I’m on Loxton Square as arranged.”
“Car?”
“A Kia Proceed, dark red.”
“Reg?”
“What?”
“The registration number of the car.”
Daniel gets out of the car and checks. “ZE19 FFE.”
“Okay. Wait where you are I’ll be in touch.”
Before Daniel can explain he is in a hurry, the call ends.
An hour later he is still waiting. He wants to call the number but it won’t do any good.
Another hour passes and he is about to pick up his phone to call when it buzzes.
“Hello.”
“You got the money?”
“Yes, yes, I have.”
The phone goes dead.
Suddenly a man jumps into the passenger seat.
“Hi, bruv.”
“Hello.” Daniel gasps.
“Drive.”
Daniel starts the engine.
“Drive round the corner. There’s a post office. You park outside. You go to the counter and say to the guy. I’ve come for the package my friend John left for me. Then you hand over the cash. He’ll give you a key. You go over to the opposite side of the shop to the mailboxes and find box 101. Your item will be in there. Leave the key in the lock. Got all that, bruv?”
“Yes, yes, I think so.”
“Good, ’cause I don’t go repeating it.”
Daniel pulls up next to the post office.
Daniel’s new friend gets out of the car and walks away without a word. Daniel gets out and locks it. The neighbourhood looks rough.
Daniel's inside jacket pocket contains the cash. He grips it closely to his body and walks into the post office and stands in the queue. There are two people in front of him. The first person finishes quickly. The second, an elderly lady, wants to buy a postal order. After the man behind the counter tells her the price, she takes a lot of time rooting around in her bag to find the money.
Daniel is aware the time is getting on. Finally his turn comes. He follows the instructions, hands over the cash, already separated from the £2,300 he had left after paying Lagan his finder’s fee, and waits while the guy behind the counter counts it out and hands over a key. Daniel walks over to box 101 and opens it. There is a package inside covered in wrapping paper with the words ‘Happy Birthday’.
Daniel takes it to the car. There are a lot of people hanging around. He decides the safest thing is to drive back to Loxton Square and open the package.
Inside he finds a 9mm gun and six rounds of ammunition.
Daniel doesn’t know the first thing about guns but even looking at this thing scares the hell out of him.
Nearly five o’clock. He puts the box with the gun under his car seat and decides to call his boss and say he isn’t feeling too well and ask for the night off. In all the time of working for Metro Security, he’s never taken a single day sick so he hopes his boss will understand.
After promising he will make up the hours with an extra shift, Daniel starts the drive home and arrives back at 8.30pm. The hire vehicle doesn’t need to be back until tomorrow morning.
He had been worried as the
