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

“We did it,” grinned Kevin. “We got the product back.”

“What a bunch of wankers,” said Jason, giving the v-sign out of the back window.

“They can’t see you,” Kevin told him.

“I don’t care. It feels good.”

Faith glanced at Vance, who was sprawled in the passenger seat beside her, panting and limp. “You okay?” she asked him.

“Yeah. That thing was bloody heavy. I think it’s lead-lined. Thank God the windows are tinted so no one can see us driving around with a coffin.”

Faith wanted to say that she’d found his display of strength extremely hot but couldn’t.

“Amanda’s stopped at the church,” said Jason, studying his phone. “I’ll bet the cow’s raging right now.”

“She’ll have a good idea of how we felt when they did over the vault,” said Caleb, who was still catching his breath. “Is there any water in here? I’m gagging. Cheers,” he told Jason when he produced a bottle from under the back seat and drank half before passing it to Vance.

“Kev,” Faith called from the front. “Is the porn shop ready for its first delivery?”

“Ready and willing,” he grinned.

“Nice one,” she said as she drove them through the mid-morning traffic, which was pretty quiet. “Keep an eye out for white transit vans. We do not want another chase, not with a coffin full of drugs on board.”

“I’ve just had a thought,” said Caleb. “You remember how they got Patrick to put a tracking device in the delivery? What if they put a tracking device in the coffin too?”

“Shit,” yelled Faith, banging her palm off the steering wheel. “I should have thought of that.”

“So should I,” said Vance. “Open it and check.”

Caleb pulled open the lid and the three of them started frantically hunting through the packages.

“Be careful not to tear any of them,” Vance told them. “Jason, where’s Amanda?”

He looked at his phone. “On the move again. She’s on this road about a minute behind us. I have a scanner at home for checking for tracking devices. I bought it after we found out what Patrick did. Why didn’t I bring it with me?”

“It’s okay,” said Faith. “You’re doing your best.”

“It’s here, at the bottom,” said Caleb, digging his hand under a pile of packages and retrieving a small black box. “Shall I smash it?”

“No,” said Faith with a wicked smile. “Let’s have some fun with them.”

She pulled the car up at the kerb behind a bus that was stopped to allow on some passengers. Caleb handed her the tracking device and she got out of the car, crept up behind the bus and stuffed the device under its bumper. She returned to the car and started the engine.

“That’ll keep them busy for a while,” she grinned, making them all laugh. “And keep checking the coffin. Make sure there aren’t any more in there.”

“That looks to be it,” said Kevin.

“And there don’t seem to be any on the outside,” said Caleb, studying the exterior of the coffin.

Carefully Caleb, Jason and Kevin neatly replaced the packages back into the coffin and closed the lid.

“Drive around for a bit first to make sure we’re not being followed,” Vance told Faith.

She nodded and pulled back into the flow of traffic, sitting two cars behind the bus she’d stuck the tracking device on.

“According to my phone,” said Jason. “Amanda’s right behind us.”

They all turned to look out of the back window, except for Faith, who glanced in the rear-view mirror instead.

“I see her,” said Caleb. “She’s three cars back.”

Faith indicated and pulled onto the car park of a small supermarket so they could watch Amanda’s car pass by. The traffic lights turned red, stopping Amanda’s car, allowing them to get a good look at their opponents.

“There’s a big bastard in the passenger seat,” said Kevin. “Looks like Ben Cooper.”

“And two more men in the back,” said Caleb.

“Ben’s scowling at a screen in his hand,” continued Kevin. “And pointing at the traffic ahead. He looks to be going demented,” he chuckled.

The lights turned green and Amanda’s car continued to wend its way down the road behind the bus.

“They’ve gone,” said Jason, breathing a sigh of relief.

Faith started the car. “Let’s get to the porn shop and stash the coffin.” She smiled and looked at Vance. “There’s a sentence I never thought I’d say.”

At the rear of the porn shop was a backyard with a wide gate. Faith backed the people carrier right up to the gate and the brothers unloaded the coffin and carried it inside without the risk of anyone overseeing.

Once it had been unloaded, Faith straightened up the car so it wasn’t blocking the back street and followed them inside.

“Well,” she said, standing amid the room stuffed full of whips, dildos, bizarre costumes, magazines, DVDs and other items she had no wish to examine too closely. “I wonder what mum would say if she saw her children’s newest acquisition?”

“I think it would put her in hospital,” grinned Jason.

“Where’s the vault?” said Faith.

“Down here,” replied Kevin, opening a door in the small room at the back of the shop to reveal a set of steps. They headed down to the cellar and Kevin pulled open a hatch that had been cut into the floorboards with such skill it was invisible if you didn’t know it was there. Inside was a solid metal door set into the floor. Kevin put in the combination and the door popped open to reveal a space twelve feet by ten feet and eight feet deep, a stepladder leading down into it.

“Fucking beautiful,” smiled Vance.

“It’s like a cellar in a cellar,” said Jason.

“I know,” grinned a pleased Kevin. “Anyone we employ to run this place won’t have a