“Everything all right?” Hayes studied her. “Charlotte’s got her headphones in, if you need to tell me something?”
“I do, but, nah, it can wait,” she replied, knowing she couldn’t say it out loud. “This is all so mental. To think yesterday we were sure Demirci was the one behind this. What a difference a day makes, huh?”
“Come on! I know you want to tell me something. Just say it,” Hayes said, eyes ahead, focusing on the road. “Is it about Luke?”
Hayes could get her back up like that. “Why would it be about Luke? My whole world doesn’t revolve around him. I can talk about other things. Why are you like this? One minute we’re getting along, and then you go and–”
Her partner put her left hand up in surrender. “Whoa! Where’s this coming from? I only asked a question. Wow! Talk about biting my head off. I thought it might be about Zuccari, is all. We haven’t really spoken about it.”
Miller felt bad for blowing up. Hayes had the best instincts, which Miller admired, more than she would ever let on. “I’m sorry!” she said, reaching out and touching Hayes’ shoulder. It felt awkward; she wasn’t a tactile person, outside of a relationship, unlike Hayes. “I’m grouchy this morning. Do you forgive me?”
With a tut, her partner forgave her. “I’m just putting this out there, but I’m always here for you if you need a chat. You know that, right? For anything. Work, social, my ears are never far away.”
And now she felt guilty. “Thanks. You too if you ever need to talk.” Looking out of the side window, she toyed with the idea of telling Hayes everything, but fell short.
It wasn’t long before Mrs Edwards’ music stopped, and she put her headphones away. “Are you going to tell me why that bastard’s coming with us now?”
While her partner drove, Miller filled their civilian in on everything they’d uncovered about the mercenaries after her brother’s invention. She also mentioned that Marlowe, the guy behind them in the armed response vehicle, had intel that would help bring the conglomerate behind her brother’s murder down.
Before she managed to finish their conversation, Hayes announced that they’d arrived. The car slowed to a stop outside the entrance. Miller had never been to Perivale before. The first thing she noticed was the size of the facility, and its many grey buildings, fences and security gates. “At least we know it’s here, although I doubt these mercenaries would have tried to get to the Fiesta, not with this amount of security. They’d have to take out a lot of officers first.”
“Marlowe said they don’t care how many of us they take out, remember? Their sole objective is to get the batteries and kill the brains behind them. He said he impersonated a detective to get to Curtis and Lang. They could’ve tried that here, or be planning it.”
Miller ended the conversation. “So, let’s go and get our baby.” She received a smile from her partner, who followed the armed response vehicle inside the pound. She watched a member of staff talking to the driver in front. “Here we go!”
After a short drive through the premises, Hayes pulled up behind the response car. “And there she is. She doesn’t look like much, does she? No one would suspect the secret she’s carrying beneath her bonnet.”
“I think it’s time to check her out, don’t you?” She opened her door, got out and walked over to the Fiesta. Hayes had a victorious, almost elated, sparkle in her eye. “Amazing, huh? To think she never needs petrol, or recharging. It’s madness.”
Marlowe appeared, accompanied by two armed officers carrying their carbines. “Don’t go getting too attached; she’s going to get you killed unless we get out of here. Come on! We haven’t got all day. They’re watching this place.” He turned and scanned the surrounding area.
“He’s right; we don’t have much time,” Hayes reiterated.
“Can we go now, please? Have you finished admiring her?” Marlowe kept turning and scanning the area.
“Right, who’s driving what?” Miller hoped, prayed Hayes would let her drive the Fiesta, but when her partner gave her the keys to the Peugeot, she didn’t argue. Hayes was the senior officer, it was her call. “Right, if you take Mrs Edwards, I’ll take Marlowe. When you get to Charlton safely, I’ll take him to pick up the USB stick. How does that sound?”
“Charlotte, I need the key in your bag,” Hayes demanded, holding out her hand. “Right, let’s go! Oh, and Marlowe, if you try anything, Miller has my permission to put you down, do you understand?”
Miller waited for Hayes to reverse the Fiesta. In front of her, Miller had one of the armed response BMWs, then the Fiesta, and she had a BMW behind her. The four-car convoy made its way to the entrance, where two guards stood. When Marlowe started talking she shut him down. “It’s quiet time now, okay? Shh!”
The first BMW turned onto Walmgate Road. The Fiesta went next. As Miller began to turn left and follow, a dark van appeared out of nowhere. It carried no insignia, but she could tell it was bulletproof, instinctively knowing it was them. She stepped on the accelerator, turned onto the road, and followed Hayes.
Miller grabbed the car radio. “It’s them! They’re right behind us.”
In her mirror, she saw the BMW pull out, turn, and follow her. At first she couldn’t see the van. Until it was right on her backup’s tail.
The first bullets sounded like distant firecrackers. Miller noticed the BMW swerving, saw one of the officers lean out of his window with his carbine. She saw muzzle flashes in the mirror. Miller called it in to headquarters, requesting backup.
Turning hard to the right, the Peugeot’s wheels spinning, she followed Hayes onto Aintree Road by taking another hard left and carried on until she steered hard right onto Bilton Road, all the while keeping an eye on the BMW behind her. So far,
