Page 54 of Savage Reckoning

“And he dropped this when he fell. Found it on the roof.” Rome swings what looks like a watch between his finger and thumb.

The youth at my feet is still whining. “That’s my fitness tracker. Give it back, man.”

I take the gadget and turn it over in my hand. “You don’t look like the sort who works out.”

“You gotta take care of your health, man. Sleeping and steps and shit.”

“Right.” I pocket the item. “You won’t be doing any steps for a while. What’s all that other stuff up there?”

“Just my kit,” he answers. “My office. Hey, you better not have left my door open. They’ll nick owt round here.”

Rome and I exchange a look. While we might not give a shit about the local scrotes looting his place, there’s a decent chance that there could be data we need on those devices so we have an interest in making sure they are secured.

Rome produces his phone. “I’ll get a team over here…”

I drop to my haunches. “What do you do in your office?”

“This and that. My ankle, man. I need help.”

“No, you don’t. You’re past help, boy. You need to tell me who you work for and why.”

“What are you saying, man? You broke into my crib. You’ve no right to—”

I grab the ankle which is lodged at a peculiar angle and twist it. The lad lets out an ear-splitting scream.

“Shit. We need to get him out of here before half the fucking neighbourhood arrives.” Rome is already seizing him by one arm. “Help me get him to the chopper.”

We can’t question our captive in broad daylight in the middle of Manchester, so that sounds like the only reasonable plan right now. I grasp the other elbow, and we haul the boy upright, then drape his arms over each of our shoulders.

“Where are you taking me? I need a doctor. Painkillers. I want to go home…”

The complaints continue the entire way back to the car park. He’s still moaning when we bundle him into the helicopter.

“Where to, boss?” The pilot peers at us over his shoulder.

“Back to the island. We can talk to this little shit there.”

CHAPTER 12

Megan

“You didn’t even get his name?” Jack paces the office and slants a bemused glance at Gabe.

“No time. He was out of that window before we could stop him, and scrambling down the outside of the building like fucking Spider-Man.”

“Until he fell,” Jack observes. “He could have been killed and he’d have been no use to us then.”

Gabe shrugs. “Well, he wasn’t. But we didn’t have time to properly check all the gear he has in that flat. It looked like Cape Canaveral in there. I wouldn’t mind betting there’s some seriously useful data tucked away in those systems. We could do with sending someone over there. Someone who knows their way around that stuff.”

“That’d be me, then,” Casey remarks. “We need guards on-site to seal the scene.”

“Already sorted. Rome arranged that before we left,” Gabe assures her.

“Right. I’ll go later today then. Jed, can you take care of Roisin?”

Her husband smiles down at the sleeping baby in his arms. “My pleasure, darlin’.”

“Where’s Spider-Man now?” Jack asks.

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