Page 85 of Reckless

Thirty-Eight

Seb

It’s still dark when we pull up to Clayton Vale and there is a sharp frost on the ground that crunches as we make our way towards the green bridge Tank mentioned. It’s quiet, only the sound of the birds can be heard above the frost beneath our feet and other than us, we pass one lone dog walker.

As the bridge comes into view, we hang back slightly and wait a few minutes, listening and checking the surroundings. This is not the best place to be meeting. We will be like sitting ducks standing out on that fucking bridge. I check my watch, and it ticks round to six just as Tank emerges from behind the trees on the other side of the bridge. We step out as he begins walking across, stopping in the middle as he waits for us to meet him.

Keeping a safe distance from him, I lean against the railing looking down into the icy water below.

“How is Natalia, is she safe?”

“Yes, she’s safe. What is she to you?”

“Just a girl that reminds me of a time when I was a good man. Listen, they know who you are, Seb. Even Jamie, and he won’t let this go.”

“So, tell us who he is, Tank.” He shakes his head, looking away. “We can help you, protect you if you need it, but not if you don’t give us what we need.”

He looks over at me, and I see the indecision in his eyes before he drops his head, putting his hands in his pockets, and when his head snaps up, I think he’s made his decision. But his eyes scan the park beyond, and a look of resignation crosses his face as his eyes land back on mine.

The reason for the look becomes obvious as I spot the red dot of a sniper rifle as it travels up his body before reaching the middle of his forehead.

“Tell Natalia I’m sorry. Watch out for—” His head jerks back as a trickle of blood runs down the middle of his face, and time pauses infinitesimally before he drops to the ground in a heap. I grab Dean, and we drop to the ground, but the damn railings offer no protection.

“Move, Dean,” I hiss as we scramble back across the bridge, ducking into the tree line just as bark splinters behind me. “Fuck. Fuck.” I grab my phone, hitting Rick’s number as Dean and I trek through the thick trees that run the edge of the pathway back to the car.

Rick picks up after the third ring, and I tell him that Tank’s dead, just as another shot rings out behind us.

“Seb, get the fuck out of there now.”

“What the fuck do you think we are trying to do, Rick,” I snap back.

“Don’t go back to the safe house in case they track you. I’ll meet you at yours, and I’ll send someone else to the safehouse.”

We run out from the trees just a few yards away from the car, jumping in it, I peel out of there and almost crash into a car as it turns into the carpark.

I take the longer route back to mine just to be sure no one is tailing us, and it pisses me off even more that I can’t check on Jamie. Entering the apartment, I put in the code for the new alarm I had installed yesterday. Another reason I was gone for most of the day and why we stayed at Jamie’s last night. I tell Dean to make himself comfortable while I go and check the security cameras for outside the apartment.

After Natalia’s revelation about the cartel and Jamie’s involvement now, whether I like it or not, it was agreed to organise extra security. And I’m bloody glad I did as a man I recognise approaches my door on the footage from this morning.

I watch as Jasper knocks, then knocking again when no one answers. After a third try, he turns and walks away, but not before pulling his phone from his pocket and typing out a message.

Flicking the camera back to now, I see Rick coming down the hall, and I enter the kitchen just as he opens the front door.

“In here, Rick,” I call out to him. I hear Rick speak to Dean before they both enter and sit at the breakfast bar. Rick scans my body, obviously looking for injuries. “I’m all good,” I tell him as I join them.

“What the fuck happened?” he demands.

“I’ll take a guess and say that someone didn’t want him talking to us,” I snipe at him with a raise of my brows.

“She’s on her way here.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Jamie. She’s on her way here, so you can snap out of it and stop worrying now.” Dean sniggers, and it would be amusing if I weren’t so pissed off. “I spoke with Ray after you called, and he’s sent a unit to retrieve Tank’s body. He couldn’t tell me much, but he thinks Tank was the inside man for the NCA and Organised Crime Task Force.”

“You’re fucking kidding me! Why are we only hearing about this now?”

“I don’t know. Ray seems to think it was very hush, hush because they were unsure of how high up the corruption went, so only a small number knew about him.”

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