For Your Own Protection(77)

‘And what did I do?’ Matt asked. ‘What did Beth and Charlie do?’

‘Nothing. Which is why you will all be fine. As I said, Matt, I’m not a monster. But these two, now I know for certain they’ve been screwing me over . . . Well, I’ve not decided what I’m going to do with them yet.’

Matt saw Michael’s face. Pure terror. He wondered for a moment whether he was going to run.

‘You know, young Harvey,’ Samson said, gesturing to his left, where Harvey was standing, just watching proceedings, ‘he’s my newest member of staff. A clever guy, as you know, Matt. We’ve been keeping an eye on both of you at the college. It’s good to have him on board.’

Matt searched Harvey’s face for some kind of explanation. But he gave him nothing.

‘I trusted you,’ Matt said. He hadn’t meant to vocalise his thoughts, but they came anyway. ‘I believed what you said.’

Harvey blinked a couple of times, but that was all.

‘You have the money?’ Samson said, looking at the bags still lying on the ground at Matt’s feet.

‘Yes.’

But what about the drugs?

‘And the drugs?’

Matt looked at Harvey. ‘We don’t have them yet.’

Samson tutted. ‘That is unfortunate. Joseph, grab them.’

Like attack dogs, both of the men lunged forward and, in a swift movement, wrapped their muscular arms around the necks of Michael and Sean, dragging them back towards the van.

Matt watched on in horror.

‘Don’t worry,’ Samson said to Matt. ‘When we release Beth and little Charlie, there will be plenty of room in the back of the van for these two.’

‘I . . . can . . . get you . . . the . . . drugs,’ Sean struggled to say, fighting against the pressure on his windpipe being applied by Deed.

‘Too late,’ Samson snapped. ‘Far too late.’

‘Please,’ Matt tried. ‘Please let them go, and we’ll get you the drugs. I promise we will.’

Samson was amused. ‘Matt, you really are a good guy, aren’t you? How about we spare Sean’s life for Charlie’s? What do you say?’

‘Please don’t hurt my son.’

‘I don’t respond well to begging,’ Samson said. ‘What can you offer me?’

‘Myself,’ Matt said, without hesitation. Sean, who’d been saying something to Deed, shot him a stunned look. ‘Let them go, and take me.’

Samson laughed. ‘No thanks. Try again. What can you offer me?’

‘How about a bullet through the head?’

Samson and Matt turned as one, to see Harvey aiming a gun straight at Nick Samson’s face.





CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE


‘What the hell is this, Harvey?’ Samson said. He was trying to sound his normal confident self, but for the first time he seemed unsure of what was happening.

‘Tell your men to let go of my friends,’ Harvey said, not taking his eyes off Samson for a second.

‘You’re making a huge mistake, Harvey,’ Samson tried.

‘You may be right,’ he said, ‘but just do it, yeah?’

Samson acquiesced. ‘Let them go.’

The men did as requested, and Michael and Sean staggered back towards Sean’s car, clutching their necks and taking in welcome lungfuls of air. They came to stand by Matt’s side.

‘Now,’ said Harvey, with the gun still trained on Samson, ‘you two. Open up the van and let Beth and Charlie go.’

Deed and his companion looked to Samson for guidance.

‘Do it,’ Samson ordered.

Deed yanked open the sliding door. ‘Time to go,’ he said. Matt watched with relief as Beth climbed out, holding Charlie. Charlie nestled his face into her neck as she rushed over to Matt.

‘Thank God you’re okay,’ Matt said, as he placed a comforting hand on her back. Beth looked shaken and very tired, but was otherwise unhurt.

‘We’re fine,’ she said.

‘You two,’ Harvey said to Samson’s men, ‘on the floor, face in the dirt, arms and legs spread.’

They didn’t wait to be asked twice.

‘And don’t move a muscle,’ Harvey added, ‘otherwise you get a bullet where the sun don’t shine – get my meanin’?’

Matt took in the scene. The two men, prone on the ground, next to the BMW; Samson, and Harvey with his gun still aimed; and then their group, next to Sean’s car – Matt, Beth, Charlie, Sean, and Michael.

‘Harvey, what’s this all about?’ Matt asked.

‘That night you came to the club, they approached me, man. Wanted me to work for them, to bring you and your friends down. I said no. I didn’t want no business with Samson, man. But then I found out somethin’. Somethin’ about my brother Jason. You remember, Matt, I told you how he was murdered? Knifed to death.’

‘I remember.’

Harvey’s face hardened as he turned back to his target. ‘For three years, I hunted the people who did it. I got nowhere, man. It seemed impossible. The police didn’t care. The community leaders, all my contacts, they didn’t know nothin’. But I never gave up. I never gave in. You know me, bruv – I’m determined. I get what I want.’ He turned the gun slowly until it was side-on, but still pointing straight at Samson. ‘And then, yesterday, I found out.’