Scorpio's Lot (68 page)

‘Experience and research has
taught that when dealing with individuals such as Morgan and Charlie, an
interesting personality profile emerges. These men are control freaks who
relish their role of dictating a situation. Eliminate their defences, such as
weaponry or group support, and we see a dramatic change in behaviour. These
traits could include becoming insecure or withdrawn. It could be a simple
mannerism or possibly even cowardly or childlike conduct. The key issue here is
that we find ourselves dealing with a susceptible personality who is more
likely to be a vulnerable individual. Take either of these two into custody and
have them subjected to an intense interrogation and you may see some level of
cooperation.’

‘Interesting point,’ said Forbes.

‘A bit like a sheep in wolf’s
clothing,’ added Carpenter.

Martin recommenced his summary. ‘So
again I reiterate by saying that above all other influential and remaining
aspects of the case, you need to be focused on these two people for reasons I
have already explained. The Keeper and Piedpiper, being your jewels in the
crown, will come in due course, but in order to reach these two you will need
to expose their subordinates. It’s a bit like the domino effect: if you knock
down the first tile the rest will follow. Contrary to what I’ve already
advocated, do not lose sight of Brigit O’Neill’s disappearance and this
so-called underground network that I’ve been briefed about.’

The psychologist concluded by
saying, ‘Think about what we’ve discussed today, and in particular, study the
evidence and the profile we have on Brad Morgan. Take notes and if something
doesn’t sit right, no matter how trivial, discuss it openly and remember, my
phone line is always open.’

~ * ~

n
the confines of the underground headquarters, Neville Bradbury sat quietly in a
corner contemplating the events of the past twenty-four hours. He was by nature
a humble and methodical man who was respected by his syndicate colleagues and
subordinates alike. Undisputedly a loyal employee, he was however extremely
disturbed by these latest murders. His active role was to effectively manage
the Broadbent site and participate in the accumulation and distribution of
drugs. Murder, or what could be described as being an accessory, was never part
of the job criteria. Although not a practising Catholic, he did hold a degree
of Christian values, which now seriously challenged his conscience over the
organisation’s latest activities.

Similarly, the Piedpiper was
livid with the events that had unfolded. Although calculating, shrewd and
extremely clever, the regional head drew the line with this sort of deplorable
behaviour. Trying to keep a lid on the southern operation was hard enough, let
alone the untold damage the media had brought on the syndicate. This arrogant
and blatant public display of yesterday’s cruelty was the last straw. Victor
Marlow’s judgment was beginning to come under question.

By stark contrast, Charlie and
Brad Morgan were relishing the after-math of the successful punishments and
executions. In their sordid and twisted minds the enemy had received their just
rewards and a strong warning had been posted to the Traffik supremo Indigo.

The general mood reflected
contrasting behaviours within the organisation. Both Neville and Sol, being
extremely loyal to the Piedpiper, preferred the careful and less violent
approach. Morgan and Charlie thrived on the blunt and murderous traits of
Victor Marlow, who in turn took delight at the inventive methods of revenge.
The torture display on Pedley Hill had brought tensions to a head. No longer
prepared to keep silent, Bradbury decided the time had come to confide in his
boss.

He placed a phone call to the
regional head to air his concerns. ‘These latest killings don’t sit comfortably
with me,’ he commenced.

‘In what way, Neville?’ asked the
Piedpiper.

‘All that cruelty ... and then to
put them on display for the bloody entire world to see! Like most people, I
took a quick look and the sight of those three men nearly made me throw up.’

‘I agree. I’m at my bloody wits’
end with Morgan and Marlow’s appetite for revenge. So your conscience is
troubling you over this incident?’

‘Yes, and I’m not ashamed to
admit it. You know me, Piedpiper. I’ve always been a willing player, but this
is different. Cold-blooded murder is not something I take kindly to and
particularly in the way this latest spectacle has been carried out.’

‘Neville, I won’t hold that
against you, but it’s not your place to question the syndicate’s motives
outside your own responsibilities.’

‘I disagree,’ said a defiant
Bradbury. ‘Were all affected by this atrocity, whether directly or not As far
as the law is concerned we’re immediately assumed guilty by being a member of
Scorpio. I will humbly accept involvement and responsibility for drug
distribution, but never murder at this blatant level.’

‘I appreciate and respect your
opinion, and to a degree I share your sentiments, but I must emphasise these
were decisions initiated outside Pedley. What I intend doing is to persuade
Marlow to give me greater control of the region.’

‘But why have Morgan and Charlie
gone to such lengths in torturing these people? Ferret may have blabbed to the
cops, but his punishment was way over the top.’

‘That directive came from Marlow,’
stated the regional head, ‘but I’m not sure that he instructed the punishment
to be carried out to that extent. I couldn’t reach him by phone yesterday so I’ll
try again shortly. Ours is not to question his methods, but there’s a limit to
what one can tolerate.’

‘You realise there’ll be a visit
from the cops at any time?’

‘Naturally, being Ferret’s place
of employment. But there’s no direct link with the hill massacre, so just play
it cool. Call me after they’ve been,’ instructed the Piedpiper.

‘The media worries me with all
their snooping around,’ Bradbury persisted.

‘Yes, a further concern. As if
the
Molly Bloom
wasn’t enough, and now this. You’d swear this operation
was doing its utmost to attract and not deter attention.’

‘That’s an understatement,’
agreed Bradbury.

‘Our problems began the day this
bloody psychopath Morgan arrived. The guy has the impertinence to believe he’s
a protected species simply because he reports directly to the Keeper. Let me
tell you that while he resides in the southern region, he must come under my
jurisdiction. This is the point Marlow must agree on. He has to relinquish
command if we’re to regain some stability.’

‘Do you think he’ll cooperate?’

‘Bloody better, otherwise we’ll
go down the gurgler at this rate. It’s always been the fuckin’ outside
influences creating the turmoil we find ourselves in -’

‘Gotta go!’ Bradbury quickly hung
up. He had seen Morgan and Charlie walk by the chamber entrance. He wondered if
the two had eavesdropped on his conversation and heard his objections about
yesterday’s public atrocity.

Morgan had glanced at Bradbury
and seen him fumble with his mobile, giving the impression he was trying to
hide something. Morgan was about to let fly with a verbal gibe but decided to
let it pass.

‘Don’t trust that guy,’ he said
to Charlie a short distance from the chamber. ‘Something doesn’t sit right with
him.’

‘That’s bullshit. Ya wouldn’t find
a more loyal person than Neville,’ Charlie responded in Bradbury’s defence.

‘Still don’t trust him. I’ll keep
my eye on him from now on,’ insisted Morgan.

‘Yer overreactin’, just because
he didn’t agree to the executions.’

~ * ~

When
Bradbury hung up abruptly, the Piedpiper pondered for a while over what they
had discussed. The regional head was beginning to understand the repercussions
the hill massacre had brought on the organisation. A newly created rift between
syndicate members was apparent and it was important to diffuse the situation
before it escalated further. The Piedpiper decided to make another attempt to
call Marlow in light of this contentious issue.

After numerous tries without
success the regional head was pleased when Marlow finally answered so they
could discuss these current developments.

‘Piedpiper here, Victor. You
haven’t responded to my messages.’

‘I’ve been too busy with a number
of city deals.’

‘I don’t accept that excuse. We
have a major problem in Pedley and you chose to ignore the aftermath of
yesterday’s chaos.’

‘Steady on. Morgan’s already
informed me and everything appears to be in order.’

‘So you choose to talk to Morgan
but not me, not your regional head.’

‘But all appears fine, there’s
nothing to worry about,’ declared the Keeper.

‘It’s a bloody catastrophe!
Victor, do you fully understand the consequences of your directive to Morgan
and Charlie?’

‘By the sound of your tone, you
better enlighten me.’

The Piedpiper gave Marlow a clear
and accurate account of the methods of torture employed by Morgan and their
ultimate execution purposely displayed for public viewing.

‘That’s not how Morgan described
it,’ Marlow said.

‘I don’t give a shit how your
lackey described it! These are the facts and I’m left to clean up the mess! Who
gave the orders to have this massacre carried out?

‘I gave instructions to rough
them up beforehand, but I certainly did not issue orders for a public display.’

‘Then let me tell you what I have
inherited. Firstly, the police will turn Broadbent upside down given their
earlier suspicions. This in turn places enormous pressure on Neville Bradbury.
Then the question arises, will their investigation uncover the entrance to the
underground –‘

‘Unlikely,’ Marlow cut in.

‘Secondly, the media is here in
droves because an incident like this creates both regional and national
attention. They will undoubtedly cotton on to the fact that Ferret had a
connection with Broadbent.’

‘Yes, but the cops have never
proven that any link exists between the warehouse and the syndicate,’ Marlow
responded, unperturbed.

Ignoring Marlow’s comment, the
Piedpiper continued in an aggressive manner. ‘On a further matter, I can’t
relocate the vast supply of drugs because there’s simply nowhere else they can
be taken to, let alone the risk involved in a logistics operation. And don’t
even contemplate the idea of using the farm, because we’d never get past the
outskirts of Pedley before the police were onto us.’

‘Under the circumstances we’ll
continue to take a punt on the underground.’

‘How aptly put - take a punt!
Victor, our position has become vulnerable. You would need to take a punt in
most situations!’