Takedown by Heather Atkinson (latest books to read txt) 📕

Vance shone his torch from the newest coffin down to the floor. “Look, here’s the one that was originally there. They moved it to put the new one in its place. The ground is wet, so they wouldn’t want to risk getting the drugs damp.”

Caleb glimpsed wisps of hair and bones with bits of leathery skin attached to the form in the broken coffin and shuddered.

“Let’s check it then,” said Vance, lifting the lid of the newer coffin, smiling at the neatly wrapped packages inside. “It’s the product.”

“Thank God,” said Faith. “Let’s get it out of here.”

Vance and Caleb handed Faith their phones and between them manoeuvred the coffin off the ledge and started to carry it back to the exit. Faith went before them, lighting the way with the phones. Caleb’s heart swelled with relief as each step brought them closer to daylight.

Jason parked the people carrier outside the wall that ran behind the crypt and just as he applied the handbrake his phone beeped. He took it out and his stomach dropped.

“Oh shit,” he said, leaping out of the car, running at the wall and scaling it in one leap.

Kevin watched him drop down on the other side with an envious scowl.

“I know you’re jealous,” Jason grinned at him. “But I don’t have time to enjoy it because I think Amanda’s on her way here.”

“What?”

“I set my phone to alert me when she moved again and judging by the direction she’s going in she’s coming here.”

“She might not be. She could be going anywhere.”

“She’s eight minutes away and you’re right, she might not but I just know that she is.”

He showed Kevin his phone, who frowned at the red dot flashing on the map on the screen. “Shit.”

“Are they not out yet?”

“No.”

“We have to tell them,” said Jason, dashing into the mouth of the crypt. He’d only gone a few paces when he saw Faith. “Amanda’s coming,” he hollered. “She’s eight minutes away.” He glanced at his phone again. “Make that seven.”

“It’s all right,” replied Faith. “We’ve got it. Have you brought the car around?”

“I have. It’s waiting at the back.”

She emerged from the crypt with Jason, followed by Vance and Caleb, who were panting and sweating beneath the weight of the coffin. They put it down outside the crypt to catch their breath.

“Christ this thing’s heavy,” breathed the latter.

“How are we going to get it over the wall?” said Jason. “No way can we carry it out onto the main road.”

“We’ll have to lift it over,” said Vance.

“How are we going to manage that?” said Caleb. “It weighs a bloody ton.”

Vance smiled at the metal bench sat in the cemetery. “We slide it over.”

“Wouldn’t it be easier to empty it and just chuck the parcels into the car?”

“We don’t have time. It’ll be quicker this way and what if someone sees us throwing parcels of drugs into the car?”

“Better they see us with parcels than stealing a coffin from a cemetery.”

“There’s no one out there,” said Jason. “There’s only waste ground on the other side of the wall.” He glanced at his phone. “And we only have five and a half minutes. She’s definitely coming here and we have no idea with how many people.”

“Looks like we’ve no choice,” said Caleb.

“Faith, Jason, Kev, get on the other side of the wall,” Vance told them. “Me and Caleb will slide the coffin over it to you. Caleb, help me with this bench.”

Together the brothers manoeuvred the wrought iron bench towards the wall and stood it on end. It was just long enough to reach the top of the wall from the ground. While they did that, Jason boosted Faith and Kevin over the fence. He jumped down too and glanced at his phone. “Four minutes.”

“No pressure then,” muttered Kevin.

Vance and Caleb put all their strength into heaving the coffin onto the upturned bench. Putting their backs against it, they shoved it upwards. Once it was halfway, they turned and pushed, stretching their arms to the limit.

“Jason, you’ll be taking most of the coffin’s weight,” Faith told him as they readied themselves. “Out of the three of us you’re by far the strongest, so brace yourself.”

He nodded. “And by the way, we have three and a half minutes.”

“Plenty of time.”

The coffin balanced precariously on top of the wall, see-sawing in the breeze and for one awful moment Faith thought it was going to slide backwards, until it started to tilt. The three of them caught it as it slid towards the pavement, the weight of it knocking Faith and Kevin off their feet and sending them tumbling to the pavement.

“Bastard,” groaned Kevin as his back was jarred.

For a few seconds Jason was left with the entire weight of the heavy coffin bearing down on him, his eyes and muscles bulging, until his older brothers vaulted the wall and took some of the strain from him.

“You okay?” panted Vance.

“Fine,” groaned Jason. “I’m lucky I didn’t get a hernia then.”

Faith dragged herself upright, flung open the boot and leapt inside to flatten the seats while her brothers picked up the coffin and slid it inside. She climbed into the driver’s seat and started the engine. Vance got in the passenger seat while the other three squeezed themselves in around the coffin, Kevin pulling the back door closed.

Jason looked at his phone. “They should be here any second.”

“Which direction are they coming from?” said Faith.

“In front of us. Amanda drives a burnt orange Dacia Duster.”

“I think I see her,” said Faith, putting the car into gear as a car turned the corner at the far end of the street.

She reversed down the street and around the corner of