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‘I have no real idea. I was approached via Police Scotland Legal Services, and we had some contact with the Fiscal’s office on the broad brushstrokes of the deal, but that’s it.’
‘How about in your office?’
‘Well, yes. It was known I was to represent Hardie, but I trust my staff.’
‘Okay, that’s fine. No need to panic here.’ Max turned to Steve. ‘We may need to prepare Frankie for an evacuation, can I leave you to tell him? And we’ll need someone to escort Ms Devlin to her guesthouse, and keep an eye on her.’
‘I could call Tavish, he’s only a minute or two away. He’ll be her bodyguard, I certainly wouldn’t want to get on the wrong side of him, I know that. He’s a big bugger.’
‘Okay, do it. I need to speak to my boss.’ Max dialled.
‘Max, talk to me,’ said Ross, with none of his usual sardonic and sarcastic tone.
Max quickly briefed Ross of the situation.
‘Fucking shite. A tracker on the lawyer’s car is next level sneaky shite, but at least we have the advantage that they won’t know you’ve found it. What have you done with it?’
‘I’ve put it back on the car.’
‘Sensible. What would your instinct be on any attack?’
‘If it was me planning this, I wouldn’t do it straight away. It’s quiet here, but there are still civilians about, and they won’t want that as we know these guys are professionals who won’t kill people they’ve not been paid to. We’ve guns front and rear, so I think we’re safe in the immediate future. I’d say they’d leave it a while until this place is dead, and then try a sneaky approach, before a noisy storming of the cop shop. Any word on armed support?’
‘On their way, but from Inverness, ETA is two hours.’
Max looked at his watch. It was 9 p.m. now. ‘Too long, Ross. They could easily hit us in that timeframe. These guys are all soldiers, Droopy was airborne, he’ll know what he’s doing, and we know he has access to other ex-soldiers, bearing in mind he killed one of them in Newcastle.’
‘Then just all get in cars and evacuate. Drive like fuck south, and leave the tracker in place. I have a strategic firearms commander on the other line, he’s going to liaise with Danny on the protection team, so you just need to concentrate on making sure Frankie’s kept in one piece. Has Norma updated you on Droopy’s phones?’
‘Janie’s on the line to her now.’
‘I’ll save time. We’ve just had an update, the handset Droopy’s been using had a new SIM put in earlier today. Only one message ten minutes ago at which point they were hitting a mast in Ullapool which is an hour away from you. You’ve time to get out, Max. Get everyone loaded up and get the fuck out of there and to Inverness, Burnett Road will at least be secure. I’ll start making my way now, and I’ll also bring Grandpa with me in case his sneaky skills are required. Someone’s been chatting, that’s for sure, and we need to get all over it, but in the meantime, just get to bloody safety. Wecan’t let the last Hardie get topped without knowing what he knows at least.’
Max’s mind raced, thinking through all the possibilities. If they ran now, they’d all be safe, and could live to fight another day. Leave the tracker here on the car, and head off at top speed by a circuitous route to the Inverness station. It made total sense.
‘Aye. I guess so.’ Max paused, his mind turning all the possibilities over, as the door opened, and a huge figure strode into the office. He was wearing blue fisherman’s overalls, with a hi-vis Police Scotland jacket over his shoulder, and a flat cap at a strange angle, perched on his enormous head. His face was massive and cracked and creased, which all spoke of a life spent outside. He nodded at Max, with a huge smile that split his heavily bearded face.
‘Tavish, you were quick,’ said Steve.
‘Aye, nae bother, Stevie. I hear there’s trouble afoot, eh?’ he said in a thick Sutherland accent.
‘Max?’ Ross’s voice was impatient on the end of the line.
‘Yeah, I got you. We’ll start getting ready for extraction, priority is to get rid of the lawyer, and then get Frankie out. We’re on it.’
‘Aye, make sure you do. No buggering about.’
Max hung up.
‘You’ll be Max then.’ Tavish extended his hand, calloused and the size of a large joint of ham. The handshake was powerful, yet came with none of the expected crushing squeeze.
‘Tavish, good to meet you. I hear you’re also a fireman?’
‘Aye, that I am, watch manager for fifteen years, noo. I’ll do anything for a bit of coin.’ He chuckled, and his Baltic blue eyes sparkled with mischief.
‘Glad you’re here, we need all the help we can get.’
‘Whatever I can do, pal.’
