Dark Logic 2 here … Dark Logic 4
I
Look, it was an outdoor performance, wasn't it? In England. What else would anyone expect other than pouring rain, reducing everything to a damp squib? The gravelled area really was sodden underfoot, despite the marquee and canopies, it was going to be interesting to see that van take off, thought the Romanians.
The set was magnif, the mat seemed solid enough as one of the crew jumped to show Cleo how to go about it, she nodded her understanding and went back inside the building. The ‘shooting’ of the painter was to be at ground level on the gravel, back against the building, Tosca then rushes inside, up the stairwell and out onto the platform above.
.o0o.
The action began, no one really knew the substitute painter, either an expendable or one of the circle, which meant he'd be alive for real by the end. Tosca's 'Non la sospiri, la nostra casetta' went down well, he managed the 'Qual'occhio al mondo' ... and so the evening proceeded.
.o0o.
In Act 2, Scarpia continues to barely manage his dastardly deeds, the 'this is Tosca's kiss' stabbing now occurs, he's obviously not dead but must lie there, the scene ends, the cunning veil is swept across, the audience breathes.
.o0o.
Act 3 and the two lovers urgently converse, Spoletta the henchman and the murder squad appear, the painter is backed up to the wall, the audience awaits Tosca running helter skelter up the inside stairs.
But what’s this? The shots are fired all right, he drops but so does Cleo, the nearest Romanian runs straight to her while others take out the hit trio with darts, for real, the audience is in uproar, Scarpio rushes out but also drops to the ground, they get limp Cleo into the waiting van and pile in themselves, there's commotion at the far gate by the road, cars are now pursuing the van, shots ring out, the first pursuer skews left, blocking the rest on the narrow exit road.
II
Cleo was now being helped out of the flak jacket but the round had caught the edge, heavily bruising her, also taking a chunk from her shoulder which was going to need attention ... they were heading there now.
Sven was the first aider, Cleo was weak, Cait was soft, she shuffled up in the van and cradled Cleo, who smiled weakly and asked if the other would do her hair again.
'Assuredly,' smiled Cait, running her fingers through Cleo's hair.
'Drink this,' said Sven. 'Yes, it's going to put you out. Nothing political, but you need to be asleep.'
III
'Where is she now?' asked Lee, in the back of the van.
'Still in the cellar,' said Cam. 'Second cellar. There may or may not be a UK-wide woman hunt after her. Jeanne and Faye are attending. What's your first question?'
'Did the Romanians escape unscathed?'
'They did. Second question?'
'Dead and wounded overall?'
'You, Sven and Cait did your part well, shooting out the tyres of the right cars, clearing that gateway, no dead from that or anything else, just very sore crashers of cars … theirs. Third question is why she was shot with a real round if they knew she had a flak jacket on. We need the girls' reports.'
IV
Cait, Faye, a nurse and two Fields were in the room, Cam and Lee were 'elsewhere'.
‘You two are crazy, bonkers.’ Cleo shook her head with the restored updo. ‘Look, we’re after you to torture and kill and what do you do whenever you capture me? You feed me a whole pizza and do my hair again, gratis.’
‘Yes,’ agreed Cait.
‘I don’t understand. Not complaining, mind, I’ve seen what you three did to our plant Traque. That was not nice.’
‘Wasn’t us.’
‘No, you just handed him over … that’s worse in some ways. At least I …’
Silence from Jeanne and Cait.
‘All right,’ continued Cleo. ‘ we know the rules, we know the quid pro quo, you can’t nail me for Fen and Antony was half accident, not my fault he couldn't drive once his tyre somehow blew out. But I do see I must give. Plus I’m well aware that two captures does not exactly … er … look so good on my record. Have I been turned? Even if I’m luring you into false security, playing on your compassion, firstly it’s a dangerous game and then, even were this a ploy, can they still trust me after Antony? Ball’s in your court. So yes, I’ll play.’
Cait went and got out the mini-tortes for all of them, for the Fields by the far wall too. Cleo continued to shake her head.
‘Insane, truly insane. These are unfair tactics, Cait.’
At that, Cait smiled. A pause.
Cleo: ‘Right, yes, ok, I shot out the tyre, you know the rifle already. She was already mutilated, I swear and I know by whom. That’s partly why but the other reason you’ve guessed. Yes, it’s so. I waited, saw the car was in the ditch, then went over to speak with him ... I don't know, half hoping he'd still be alive, half not.'
'Awkward if he'd been alive.'
'Not sure if I’d have finished him. He’d betrayed me, had Antony. I still haven’t pieced together quite when and why it turned against me. Maybe my first captivity with you.’
Longer pause. Cait murmured, 'You're lying.'
Cleo looked at them, making up her mind. ‘Yes, he was alive.'
'Between the eyes?'
She said nothing. Eventually: 'It was quick. So …er … what next?’
‘Join us. You have current intel we want, you can't go back to them … you have the skill set.’
‘Not enough to evade you.’
‘We’re not bad at this.’
She looked at Cait, making her mind up ... but over something else. She looked from one to the other, then said, 'One of you is selling you out, you're aware of that I suppose, for money of course ... but maybe for something else as well. The photos we made sure Cam received … me in the car and one of ours sitting up. No one sat up, it was staged.'
'You lie,' repeated Cait.
'Not this time. If you think I'm thinking of my own survival, yes I am. I'm not a super-intelligence, as Antony was, but I'm not totally thick. If I give you duff data, hoping you'll be caught before you can get to me ... well that's not a wise game. Inserting this thing now about someone betraying you ... listen, I know your Cam actually said that to you the other day. Someone's reporting to us ... not to me personally. I'll give you better than this but not now, not in here.'
She took a sip of her coffee. 'Me even saying this to you ... you do know about it, so it's hardly news, but it places me at huge risk ... I can't even afford to avoid this person as it signals that I know who it is. I'll save you the question ... it's a girl. What next?'
No reply.
She went on. 'You don't even know what to do, do you? Kill me? Turn me over to that lot ... yours I mean, or more likely turn me over to ours ... you see my fear, don't you? I need the loo. Perhaps you think I'll scarper with this person at the first opportunity. I can tell you now, it won't be, you also change codes half daily and each knows only part of it. I'll give you this one for free ... you six are not the only ones receiving notifications. Others hear it too. And I'm telling you it's through a girl.'
'And you know her.'
'No, I don't know her, I know it’s a girl from bits and pieces I heard. I know it must be. By a process of elimination, I think I know who ... we know where the males are at any one time, you've sprung three of ours, including the two Toms, there are a couple more but they're not close enough to the centre. This girl though can end your cell, I'm telling you that now. You do know why I'm telling you this.'
Said Faye: 'Because the cell must not be blown, either for your own survival or also because you must redeem yourself in their eyes.'
'Yes, that's it. But you have infiltrators too among us and that's where it's going to come from. It's a rotten motivator, fear, but it's mine at the moment. Maybe I'll get to love you, even start to believe in you, maybe just admire you.'
It was not enough, so she went on. 'Change your code system in such a way it must eventually flush this person out. Don't give me the third degree, this is me begging you now, please don't hand me over yet, I'll tell you all I can afford to, don't press me on names. I'm telling you straight though, change your code system, right now. I'll tell you some of our codes anyway. And don't tell me you could get anything out of me if you want - you think I don't know that?' She lost her equilibrium.
She recovered enough to speak … tough cookie. ‘Let her walk, this girl, let her slip away if she wants, give her enough rope. See, she knows if she escapes you and comes to our side, our lot won’t trust her in the least … it’s hours, days, of interrogation until she dies. If you give her to your people, you know what happens, she dies too, same result. So she’ll try to escape altogether … head for Africa, China, wherever. Let her. Give her a head start. Even leave credits somewhere convenient.’
‘And you? Give you the same?’
‘Did I ask? With me … I want to see more first, before making a decision. You want to watch me too … our time is not yet.’
V
Cleo had to be moved to their safehouse north-west of Stoke, more Peak District. This involved B roads and she was au fait enough to show nervousness as they turned onto the B5053, they had only so much time before hitting the A523, going straight on towards Warslow, or so she reckoned.
This part had her greatly worried and worse was that they weren't in the back of a windowless van, the cell's usual type of van, this one had had opening side windows put in, though centrally locked ... she could not escape that way, plus she'd noticed the passenger up front had a muzzle pointed at her through a hole. This was a van for a specific purpose.
It was too dead easy to relieve the Field on her left of his Glock 43 but she was not going to be able to do the same on her right across the aisle. Plus left Field had his window three quarter down ... was the man an idiot? This was heady stuff, she wasn't high on it, she wasn't getting any buzz, she was on full alert though, scared, something right Field could feel even two feet away across the gap and the one with the muzzle at the front was well aware too.
She felt no preparedness from any party at this point, either in the vehicle or outside ... meaning no one seemed instantly ready for anything from out there ... they were insta-ready for any move she made though.
Knowing the terrain, which she did and they knew she did, it was going to be long after the A523 that anything would happen, it could be from absolutely anywhere past the A523 ... sniper, assault, low stone walls, whatever ... it was a nightmare, security wise.
Why were they doing this? Why were they torturing her like this?
.o0o.
Ah, now she saw at the first bend past the A road ... man in fatigues on the left, hunkered down, not badly hidden but he seemed unaware of a second guy a quarter mile upfield ... it struck her that she was completely in the hands of this cell now ... what was their level of competence? She was scared.
She saw the letter D on the stone wall, it looked in place but it had no place there, she knew this road, the D was new, it had been made to look part of the stonework. They'd tried to dirty it, wear it down, ye olde wall and all that ... and yep, there was the O now ... if there was a V next, she pretty well knew the bridge would be the place where it would all happen and she'd also know the action required on her part ... it was falling into place.
And there it was, the V ... it was going to be Glutton Bridge. She didn't need left Field now asking if she was hungry, very hungry, she didn't need that, she could do with some hints though, such as who wanted her dead, who wanted her alive, what should be her first move? She had to think it through ... fast ... because there were no more than two minutes, even at this slow pace. And they knew that she knew left Field very well, he was too secure, unlike the real Field on the right.
She was assessing the Fields in her head ... this one on the right was new to her, the one driving she knew of, both hard boys, as Lee was in a different way ... she read him as ruthless ... sense of humour when it wasn't duty ... if it was ... ruthless. Three guys in the front cabin, two beside her, the girls not around.
.o0o.
It was fast, in the space of seconds ... gunfire all over the hill, none from the right side of the road ... weird, but as she'd surmised.
Then she saw the bridge ahead, knew what she had to do, she grabbed left Field's gun and shot him through the temple, flinging the gun out of the window, hands straight to her head, no one else up front nor right Field himself moved, all totally bizarre, left Field was slumped against his door, someone up front called, 'Right door, straight into the gully once we swerve and stop.' It was Lee.
The driver swerved and ditched the van, they all piled out into the soggy ditch smelling of cow, Lee threw her another Glock, she opened, checked, then nodded.
Lee: 'Eyes midnight through to 2:30, won't be ours, take him out, even if a rustic.' She nodded again.
All sorts of gunfire and pyrotechnics were going on up at the bridge, something exploded, some vehicle, it was furious up there, then silence.
.o0o.
If that had been bizarre, another van pulling up on their side of the road some fifty yards away was surreal, they ran and piled into the back, Cleo handed her pistol to Lee, who removed the magazine and holstered it inside his bomber jacket, other side to his own.
The sense of relaxation and yet tension was palpable. Cam told her to be super-relaxed, they were going for a drink and a bite to eat, the others were there for the briefest of meals.
.o0o.
Not a bad pub, The John Glossop, lunch had opened, usual chain fayre, one of them had phoned ahead and ordered the set menu ... chicken, ok? Fine, had said all.
They knew not to talk shop, someone started arguing over League versus Union, Cleo was making eyes at Lee, Cait was 'annoyed', while it should have been Faye, but Faye was not there, nor Sven.
.o0o.
7.2 miles later, their car now dropped them in a layby, then disappeared around the bend, they climbed into the back of a waiting van and there was Faye, as expected. In the front cabin, she told them, was Sven driving, no one else was in the front.
Cleo was nervous again ... another cellar she suspected, this time no dart, no blindfold. She'd half expected and even hoped the six would be together ... that they weren't, that it was these two and Sven, was mightily curious to her, as it aligned with what she knew.
Lee suddenly said, ‘No cellar, no safehouse, no braids this time. Just answers in the back of this van. So talk, Cleo. What your part ever was, what they really want with us, what you can tell us of a traitress. Today's operation first.’
‘The operation, right. I guessed there was no safehouse, never was, the bridge was the operation. Tell me, what was going to be the decider for you … if I’d gone for the one on the right, if I’d aimed any further forward than 90 degrees … what was going to be the trigger?’
‘Both of those but any motion forward with the arm would have triggered me.’
‘Phew.' She felt genuinely chilled to the blood. 'Between the eyes?’
‘Second shot only, first to the heart. Don't dwell on things like that, Cleo.’
‘But you knew I knew about the Field on my left.’
‘We strongly suspected, you made it obvious too. Any more on the exercise overall?’
‘Exercise, you call it.' She breathed out evenly. 'I don’t know enough about the players. The word Dove on the wall told me about left Field, yes, I knew you’d leave that job to me. The man behind the parapet and the one up the hill?’
‘Both friendly, both alive now. This is public knowledge anyway now in your community but we lost two, this Field was one, so actually he was yours. We’re down to just two genuine Fields for now, other than Sven, that we think we can vouch for. Your ex-lot did not do well. Yet your far-offs disappeared to fight another day.’
‘As they do.’ Pause. ‘You want I talk defection now?’
‘Please.’
‘I want to join you, you’re good enough with your inter-cell work, except for Ireland but there was a specific reason for that, related to the one we're calling the traitress.
Talking defection, the big question for me is do I wish to be forever in your position … or instead in my old one? I’d have said my old one of course … but yours is more exciting … more worthwhile. Less treacherous, a huge factor with me now. The decider though was Antony, the snake. Set me up.’
There was no reply, so she continued. ‘I did see it as the grand game, I did not see the sheer misery until Fen. They’re … maniacs, empire builders, users, truly vicious. Never get caught by them. Not nice. Pitiless, truly pitiless. They do it for fun, for amusement.’
‘We know. We're well aware.’
‘That act of trust by you … that was nice, Lee, handing me the gun … and live rounds too. That really did get me wobbly in the head. I’ve no doubt Sven is even better in the field, you’re all battle hardened except Jeanne and to a point … Faye.
Did I support their agenda? I really didn't care, I made the right noises, rising in the organisation that I was expected to walk over my grandma for. When I saw Fen, did that suddenly change me? Did conscience suddenly kick in? Not really. More like fear. The horror of 'Tom', what I needed to do, the horror of Fen ... well, I shut it out and did what I had to. Does that make me bestial? Maybe.
These people training us ... it's their life's work, isn't it? To produce such 'operatives' as me, as Antony. They have no other way, the operatives, it's too terrible to contemplate their crimes. It's not even bitter childhood trauma in all cases ... sometimes it's just a totally cold nature. Dispassionate. Most were abused in childhood, I was ... from three years old, a bit late in my case. Nasty business, no one wants to think about it.
I'm not saying your cell can't reverse things to a point, nuisance value ... you captured me twice ... I was furious with Antony, absolutely furious.
This traitress of yours, you want me to get to this ... on big money … she’s supporting an extended family, that family’s been sick in the head for generations ... there are very good reasons she would turn you in or turn on you. You have to get this through your heads, guys ... sane things like loyalty do not come into this, truly they don’t ... it's truly dog eat dog, climbing that greasy pole, stabbing people in the back who are no longer useful. You're expected to ... if you don't, you're suspect yourself. If anything, taking out Antony reassured them, not taking out left Field though ... that did not reassure them. They’ll probably conclude I'm freelance or trigger happy, even loony ... a loose cannon.
'And are you?'
You lot are the outlaws to us, there's a sweet time for you right now, even in your hardships, even with that sword of Damocles over you. You have your grim humour too. Our humour is always mocking, cruel. Once I saw I was really a nothing, just a lackey, disposed of when no longer useful … well I can say your shelf life, guys, is short but it’s a sweet, short life, there’s even love with you. Back there is only treachery and suspicion of me. I’ve no choice, there’s no escape to Haiti, Greenland, anything like that.
Am I loony? Possibly when pushed, cornered, the rest of the time like this. I can love someone ... how long for? All right ... the traitress, I'll save you a lot of angst ... no, it's not Faye. Remember though that we ... they now ... don't know the identity, it's only known higher up ... but I can guess from how things happen, when they do, how they do, in which area, who benefits most. I'm interested in why Faye and you in here now. Why Faye? You've already guessed it's not her?
No reply? All right, I'm going to say it again ... I want her to walk, to be allowed to escape, to get out of the country, no vindictiveness. She never turned in personnel, betrayed the people in the cells ... her way was to stymie projects ... we did our bit by making ourselves obvious in the area, e.g. me in the Astra, the taking of the pastor, who's back on the job by the way.
What you have in mind for me is one thing … what I have in mind is I’m alone, I'm not celibate, there's going to be a spare man if she walks. I played up to you, Lee, at the pub, does Faye know I would not?'
'Yes,' answered Faye.
'Good. I want this person to walk. I'm not holding out on you, I simply don't know who it is but as I've also said, I can make a shrewd guess. You obviously can too.' She just looked from one to the other. 'You know, I'm getting the idea she already has walked.'
'She did. She tried to take her man with her. He's a mess.'
'Is she ... alive?'
'As far as we know. And no, she was not handed over. However, I'd not rate her chances highly ... we're but one cell, even cell leaders don't know everything. We know things were moving, as one we've also suspected, never one of us ...'
'The advisor.'
'Yes,' said Faye, 'he was never inside, never asked, never wangled, played the independent advisor to both sides, very dangerous game but he was protected by his people, the department ... he was their eyes and ears ... it worked but now he's seconded to Denmark, split from his girlfriend, wife divorced years ago, one son, one daughter in their teens, with the mother. Lee and I felt he was paving the way.'
'I wasn't sure about him, we weren't sure, he played his cards close ... but we knew he'd been transferred. It was one of the reasons I thought she'd soon walk ... your traitress I mean.'
'They were so close.' A tear came to Faye's eye, lip quivering.
'Yes,' said Cleo, 'but imperial all the same, did you not think? I didn't say imperious, I said imperial, like the Roman purple. She carried herself like a Queen. Is she with the Advisor?'
'We don't know, as we said. We'd say so.'
'I don't fancy her chances,' mused Cleo, 'I really don't ... if they took her, she'd give ... and that's us back in danger.'
'Us?' asked Lee.
'You chill me at times ... I had hoped ... well you know.'
'How can we trust you?'
'How could you trust Jeanne? Look, all the codes I can give you ... they'll be changed, all the personnel ... they'll be reassigned, I can give you many snippets about their operation but I think you'd know most of it. Oh I'll give it you without question ... high grade, not chaff ... but they know I'm only of nuisance value now ... as you are. That can keep you alive in one sense ... you're not prioritised and besides, they'll give me enough fishing line, in their eyes, then reel me in. I'm no Manchurian, it would be some blackmail if they could.'
'Why aren't you Manchurian?'
'Unnecessary, not high grade material, too diminutive in most ways, ambitious but too much of a loose cannon.'
'And you'd expect Cam to accept you?'
'As a working partner, just that ... anything develops, it develops, anything which doesn't ... doesn't. What else have I got?'
'As a plant, Cleo, you're perfect.'
She groaned. 'I know, I know ... you think I don't know? How hard did they try at the opera?'
'That was peculiar ... they use a live round, yet give you a flak jacket and fire at that. There are anomalies, Cleo ... yet I buy they tried hard at the gate, lost many men in the process. And at the bridge, the one on the hill we took out ... the muzzle was on you, not on me.'
'Thank you.'
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