Scorpio's Lot (115 page)

Travelling past the corridor
housing the compressor, Forbes was wondering where their little expedition
would eventually lead. As they zigzagged their way through the bluestone maze,
the hooded thug from behind called left or right as they approached each
optional route.

It was widely accepted that
Arthur Simpson’s disappearance was underworld related and he had been brought
to the subterranean passageways to curb his threat of exposure. It crossed
Forbes’ mind whether the poor old bugger was detained within these rows of
chambers. He prayed that no harm had come to the man and suddenly feared for
his safety given the syndicate’s apparent evacuation. Would he be tolerated or
judged to be a liability?

The party finally reached their
intended destination. Two further men, both wearing balaclavas and holding
pistols, came forth to inspect the four policemen on arrival. Satisfied they
held no further weaponry, the officers were ordered to sit on the ground with
hands on their heads. A brief exchange of words followed in a foreign language,
stating the first pair would return with the intended device. Forbes and his
subordinates then realised the original duo had suddenly become conspicuous by
their absence. They’d simply disappeared into thin air, but no doubt would be
lurking nearby.

The area they had been brought to
seem to be a gallery of sorts, but in size was around two-thirds of its
predecessors. A series of chambers, each accessible by a metal door, ran the
full length to one side of the open area. Forbes was intrigued as to what may
hibernate from within those eminent stone walls. An occasional flight of steps
provided access above the crypts, which served as a short retreat to the upper
landing. A dilapidated handrail ran along the edge and supportive bluestone
pillars were sandwiched between the ceiling and chamber roofs.

Finally the pair decided to
communicate with their captives.

‘I could smell you pricks a level
away. You obviously didn’t read the sign saying trespassers would be
prosecuted. So, any thoughts on what type of punishment should be carried out?’
taunted the shorter man of the two.

‘The Piedpiper, I presume?’ said
Forbes.

The reaction was a devilish
laughter that caused the detective’s eyebrows to rise.

‘Not I. Our regional head will
only visit the bowels of Pedley when necessary,’ he replied, grinning beneath
his balaclava.

‘So who are you two, and for that
matter, where are your missing accomplices?’ pressed Forbes.

‘Some call us the Piedpiper’s
disciples, while others insist on less desirable names. Our accomplices, as you
put it, are not far away. They’ll be back with something rather menacing.’

‘Oh?’ Forbes believed the comment
was no more than a scare tactic.

‘We have something very special
in store for you lot.’

‘And what’s that supposed to
mean?’

‘Sorry, no tell, Mr Copper. We
don’t want to spoil our little surprise, do we now?’

‘You realise your game is up. By
capturing us will only result in the authorities returning in greater numbers,’
declared Forbes.

‘I assume you are the leader of
this unfortunate lot,’ he said.

‘Yes, I am.’

‘Then let me tell you something,
fat boy. Our chances of survival are quite high. Should we choose to remain in
the underground, it would take a month of Sundays to find your way around this
place. Likewise, should we decide to relocate your police force will have no
idea where that might be. Either way we’re on a winner.’

‘That’s a matter of opinion. Your
type is generally caught in the end.’

‘Don’t make me laugh. The
destruction caused by the Broadbent explosion is only a minor setback. Give
Scorpio an inch and we’ll take a mile. The sky’s the limit and this syndicate
will always be a survivor to rule another day.’

‘Forever the optimist, but
eternally the blind fool!’ Forbes retaliated.

‘Don’t try me!’ he warned.

‘So what do you plan to do with
us?’

‘The Piedpiper will make that decision.’

‘Then why doesn’t he have the
guts to face the police?’

‘All in due course.’

‘Tell me, what have you done with
Arthur Simpson?’

‘Arthur Simpson is safe for now.
Enough of this shit about the old man. We have orders to take you -’

The Scorpio accomplice stopped
and stared at something behind Forbes and his men. His eyes were clearly
visible through the balaclava and wide open in apparent fear.

~ * ~

In
the pitch darkness, I heard the sound of Indigo’s return. Glimpses of
approaching light beams now bounced off a number of passageway walls. His voice
appeared agitated, suggesting he had failed in his attempt to locate the enemy.
Now almost in sight, I could hear his passing comment, for the network
intensified the acoustics to the point where even whispers weren’t immune.

‘I’ll get that fucking Scorpio
jerk if it’s the last thing I do!’

On their return I could sense we
had suddenly become a liability. Indigo reflected a picture of restlessness and
impatience and I realised our committee of eight persons would only delay
proceedings in finding these southern headquarters. A light was aimed directly
at us, implying a head count was being carried out. How stupid, I thought. As
if someone was going to make a run for it without the aid of a torch. The Traffik
unit then rechecked their weaponry. It was a logical deduction to suggest the
Scorpio operation may be close at hand.

We had travelled a series of
further corridors when suddenly the maze of passageways gave way to an open
expanse of space. So immense was the spectacle that our entire entourage
stopped and stared in disbelief. Indigo stepped forth on a nearby balcony to
survey the enormity of it all. Casting his eye on the crater and far descending
pathways, I could hear him make comment to his thugs that it would be
inconceivable for his nemesis to conduct their operation from these depths.

‘It makes no sense to go beyond
this landing,’ he reasoned. ‘Their headquarters would have to be located within
this upper level and somewhere in the vicinity of Broadbent’s.’

‘How many floors in this upper
section?’ questioned one of Indigo’s lackeys.

‘I dunno, maybe six or seven,’
another responded.

‘We’ll search every landing above
this level until we find the bastards. Keep an eye on those eight and if anyone
begins to lag behind shoot them. I won’t tolerate further delays,’ Indigo
instructed to the cries of their captives.

Ordered by Indigo to progress in
a tight huddle, we were having difficulty in avoiding the many feet that were
shuffling along the passageway. Martha Kellett and Helen O’Neill tripped
together but fortunately their falls were cushioned by the surrounding bodies.
I incurred the brunt of Helen’s collapse, which dislodged something from my
pocket that I couldn’t immediately detect. Despite being a bit shaken their
injuries were only minor, enabling both women to continue with the expedition.

Martha lashed out furiously at
the Traffik leader. ‘If you expect us to obey your demands, would you give us a
bit more room and light?’

Stephen Buchanan and Ashley
Collins added their voices to the women’s protest, stating that the men’s
demands were unrealistic.

‘Shut the fuck up! Any more
outbursts and I’ll leave you behind to rot. From now on not a bloody sound, and
if I so much as hear a cough from someone you’ll get a bullet in your back!’ he
snapped.

Level by level we climbed and on
reaching the third landing I could hear the distinct beating sound of a
compressor. Judging by Indigo’s sudden reaction I sensed the search for Scorpio’s
headquarters had been consummated. With the speed and grace of a gazelle, he
shot to the front of the queue to instruct his accomplices to stay put and
guard us captives. His briefing could be heard by all. Both their leader and
one lackey would proceed forward to assess the unknown and have at least one
person return with the lowdown. Silently the Traffik pair disappeared from
view. I couldn’t help but think that Scorpio scouts may well be scrutinising
the fringe area of their headquarters.

~ * ~

Indigo
and Dave had successfully advanced some two intersecting passageways and voices
could now be heard above the interfering noise of the compressor. Glimpses of
light began to emerge from a distance. Within a stone’s throw of their intended
target, the two Traffik thugs cautiously maneuvered their way toward the light.
Torches were switched off to eliminate any possible detection.

The Traffik pair had now reached
the end of the passageway and Indigo could see an open area resembling more of
a gallery than that of a wide corridor. A rooftop above a chamber and handrail
located along its edge separated the two men from the gallery that lay beneath.
Now on all fours, they crawled ever so quietly toward the railing. A voice from
below could be heard issuing some directive, but until they reached the rail it
was impossible to gauge the numbers, let alone identities. Inch by inch they
worked closer to the edge, mindful not to allow any metal object they carried
to come into contact with the stone they crawled on. The slightest sound would
be magnified within these walls. Indigo’s determination in reaching the vantage
point was unrelenting. He anticipated that Scorpio was finally within his grasp
and in particular, that of the elusive Piedpiper which he had sworn
unconditional revenge.

Indigo’s head peered beyond the
railing to view the commotion below. Two men wearing balaclavas and holding
pistols held four captives against a wall. Who was threatening who? Undoubtedly
both were adversaries, but was Scorpio in the ascendancy or not? Perhaps they
all belong to the syndicate and this was the result of some in-house feuding.

It was all irrelevant because he
would soon gain control and sort out the confusion, particularly with the
Piedpiper in mind. With guns poised and aimed directly at the two who were
armed below, Indigo and his accomplice stood to deliver the initial command.

‘Drop your guns, now!’

So startled were the two hooded
men with this sudden intrusion, they dropped their weapons almost
instantaneously. An exchange of fire would have meant immediate death had they
chosen to take aim. From Scorpio’s perspective, they could recognise only two
persons instigating the threat from above. But it begged the question as to the
whereabouts of their accomplices, who had brought the police to the gallery.
They were only to be gone a short time to retrieve further weaponry.

‘Kick your weapons towards the
wall to your right!’ Indigo commanded and then added, ‘Now sit down in the
middle with hands on your head where I can keep an eye on you both.’

His order was immediately obeyed.
Dave descended a set of nearby steps, retrieved the guns and returned to his
leader’s side. The task was completed in less than half a minute. Indigo then
glared at the four plainclothes policemen, wondering who they were and where
they fitted into the scheme of things. The drug lord and master would call for
introductions shortly. He then ordered his lackey to fetch Ivan and Martin
along with the captives and to switch off the annoying compressor.

Indigo patiently waited the
required three minutes, not once taking his eyes off the hooded pair.

~ * ~

The
drug lackey’s lone return implied that enemy headquarters had been located. The
one they called Dave had an irritating whine as he described the situation up
ahead to his two Traffik accomplices. I could sense a degree of anxiety among
the rest of the committee. What had Indigo in mind for us lot, let alone
Scorpio’s fate? Our three captors then gave instructions to march along the
main passageway.

With our arrival the Traffik
leader immediately descended the steps to the gallery. I leaned forward upon
the chamber roof to sneak a peep at the disturbance below. Startled on seeing
Forbes and company sitting cross-legged against a sidewall would be an
understatement. Indigo then issued an order for us to proceed down the steps,
single file, and to stand beside the wall directly to our left. The look of
astonishment from the constabulary was clearly visible, especially in seeing
Burke descend the steps to take up his position.