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  “Christ knows what goes through that arsehole’s head,” said Mark. “He never was very bright.” Personally Mark was so glad Jules was here. She was a good leader and very war-minded, even more so than Mikey and Jez. He had no doubt that under her capable leadership they would weather this particular storm.

  “First things first,” she said. “I need to make a phone call. We need some back-up.”

  Before Jules could make the call her phone beeped. “Well, well, well, it’s a message from our would-be mole,” she smiled. Her grin increased as she read the message. “They’ve done good. Apparently not only did the DNA profile taken from Estelle’s clothing not reach the required minimum but there’s a suspicion Dwyer tampered with the clothes. The mole’s even sent me a recording of the lab tech who did the test confessing all this.” She texted Miller back telling her thank you and that they don’t need to talk. Jules interacted with her grasses as little as possible to protect them as well as herself.

  “In order to tamper with that clothing Dwyer would need a sample of Jez’s DNA,” said Mark. “Which he could easily have got the first time he was arrested.”

  “Exactly. I’ll pass this info onto the attack dogs we call lawyers. They’ll have a field day with this. Now I need to call big bruv.”

  CHAPTER 16

  “Oh God,” breathed Rachel as she watched Mikey and Jez being loaded into the back of a prison van on the television. “I don’t believe this. They’ve never been stronger. How the hell did this happen?”

  “I think Dwyer’s been up to his old tricks of fitting people up,” said Ryan. “Fuck,” he yelled, slamming his fist down on the coffee table. He’d served several years in prison and he couldn’t stand the thought of his younger brother and brother-in-law being stuck in the very same hellhole. The reporters had said they’d been remanded to Manchester Prison, or Strangeways as it was more commonly known.

  He glanced at his mobile phone when it started to ring. “It’s Jules,” he said before answering it.

  Rachel already knew what was coming before he’d even spoken.

  “I’ll get a flight as soon as I can.” He hung up and looked to Rachel. “Sorry but I have to go. Jules is holding down the fort practically on her own. She’s got Mark but she sent Shane back to Liverpool to oversee things there and Carter is untested in an emergency.”

  “It’s okay, I understand. How did this happen?”

  “Jules thinks Dwyer’s started up The Coalition again.”

  Rachel’s eyes widened before turning jet black. “I knew it. Dwyer’s just like his brother.”

  “Which is why I’m very relieved you’re staying here.”

  “He wouldn’t try to kill me, he’s smarter than that.”

  “I need to leave as soon as I can…”

  They were interrupted by the buzz of the gate at the bottom of the drive. Ryan peered at the monitor on the wall. “It’s Bruiser and Daina.”

  He buzzed opened the gate and a couple of minutes later they were walking through their front door with their children Magnus and Emily.

  “Hello sweetheart,” said Jules, taking little Emily from Daina and cuddling her.

  “We came as soon as we saw the news,” said Daina. “We are so sorry about Mikey and Jez.”

  “Jules reckons Dwyer’s set The Coalition back up again,” said Rachel, looking meaningfully at Bruiser, who had been shot protecting her from Benton.

  “I’m heading up there to help Jules,” said Ryan.

  Bruiser looked to Daina. He didn’t say a word but she read everything in his gaze. Bruiser was a man of very few words and she’d long ago learnt to translate his every expression and gesture. “It is okay my love,” she said. “If you feel you must go with him then you must.”

  “Bruiser, you don’t need to involve yourself in this,” said Ryan.

  His response was a firm nod. Ever since his brother’s death he’d spoken even less.

  “It is what Battler would have done,” said Daina, once again translating for him.

  “I understand why you want to do this,” said Rachel, taking Bruiser’s hand. “This is linked back to the time of Frank Maguire. You feel you owe it to his family.”

  He nodded determinedly.

  “Don’t feel obliged,” said Ryan. “You have a new life here with Daina and the children. Frank wouldn’t want you to get involved.”

  “You have a new life too,” he replied, heartening Rachel. It had been so long since she’d heard him speak a full sentence.

  “Yes I do,” said Ryan. “But this involves my brother and brother-in-law.”

  “My family too,” he announced.

  Ryan nodded. “Alright Bruiser, I’ll book two seats on the plane,” he said before calling the airport.

  As neither Ryan nor Bruiser had ever been to the new centre of Maguire-Law operations before, Jules collected them from the airport.

  “You shouldn’t be going about alone,” Ryan told her. “Right now everyone will be sensing weakness. They know you’re the only one holding everything together and they may try to eliminate you.”

  “Not with you two big hard bastards here they won’t.”

  He noted she’d reverted to wearing all the heavy black eye make-up and leather. “Venom’s in the driving seat again I see?”

  “Don’t worry, I’ve not regressed but she does have one hell of a reputation and I’m playing on that.”

  “Wise move.”

  “There have been rumours that I’ve lost my edge since I was in a coma then shot in the chest, so I’m out to prove them all wrong. Things have been so peaceful since the last war that I’ve not had the chance yet.” She turned her head to flash him a grin. “They’re going to get the shock of their miserable little lives.”

  “Please keep your eyes on the road.”

  “Relax big bruv, I’ve got it all under control.”

  “I know you do. I think you’re holding up admirably with Mikey in prison. This can’t be easy for you.”

  Her smile faltered, grey eyes filling with pain. “It’s not but I’m going to bust him out of there, Jez too. No fucking way are we taking this lying down.”

  “No we are not.”

  “I wonder how they’re getting on in there,” she said anxiously.

  “Don’t worry, they can handle it.”

  Jez looked around the poky cell with distaste. “Well this is unbelievably shite.”

  “You’re not wrong,” said Mikey, perching on the edge of what he thought had the nerve to call itself a bed. They were in G wing, where prisoners spent their first few nights before being introduced into the main prison population.

  “We’re going to go nuts cooped up in here together.”

  “At least we’re sharing a cell with each other and not some big bloke called Bubba whose hobbies include shagging people up the arse.”

  “Ryan told me that happens less than you think in prison.”

  “He would say that seeing how he was locked up for years.”

  Jez wrinkled his nose. “What is that smell?”

  “I don’t want to think about it.” Mikey gestured to his grey jumper and matching grey jogging bottoms. “What’s the deal here? I thought being remand prisoners we’d get to wear our own clothes.”

  “Each prison has their own rules. Here only sentenced prisoners get to wear their own clothes.”

  “That’s nuts. Surely it should be the other way around?”

  Jez slumped onto his bed. “I’m starving but apparently we missed tea and now all we’ve got is this,” he said, tossing the non-smoking pack he and Mikey had been given on arrival. “A lollipop and a pack of mints. That’ll fill me up.”

  “Stop whinging,” said Mikey, lying back on the bed.

  “How can I not whinge? It’s what made this country great, a good dose of British whinging. And I’m bloody entitled. I could be at home now with my wife and kids.”

  “You’re not the only one,” snapped Mikey. He took a deep breath
. “Jules will get us out, have faith.”

  “She’s probably running around Manchester topping people as we speak.”

  “I don’t doubt it so sit down and take it easy.”

  Jez reclined back on his bed, thinking how crap it was in comparison to the one he had at home, which he shared with Cathy. He closed his eyes and imagined holding her naked body to his own, her soft warm skin…He brushed these thoughts aside when tears prickled his eyes. Fortunately Mikey appeared to be lost in his own world, no doubt thinking similar thoughts about Jules. Thank God Mikey just assumed he couldn’t possibly be responsible for Amber’s death. He wouldn’t like to think of the consequences if he did know. He wished he hadn’t bothered with Amber. Having her killed was supposed to protect his family. Now look what had happened. Granted, he was banged up for Estelle’s murder too but Mikey was in here for something he’d done. Jules had to get them out, he couldn’t stand the thought of Mikey being sent down because of him. Not only had he hurt Mikey but Jules and the boys too.

  No matter what they did they couldn’t win. If they left alive someone who’d hurt them they would only hurt them again but if they killed them then they still hurt them.

  “Oh for God’s sake,” he sighed when the lights went out.

  “All we can do is get some kip,” said Mikey. “We need to be fresh for going into the general prison population in a few days. A lot of them hate our guts.”

  “Today just keeps getting better and better,” he sighed.

  Mark and Carter were ready and waiting at The Manor when Jules rolled up with Ryan and Bruiser.

  “Good to see you,” smiled Mark, shaking Ryan’s hand heartily.

  “You too,” said Ryan. He had huge respect for Mark who not only was very proficient at what he did but had shown his family unswerving loyalty.

  “Bruiser,” said Mark, shaking his hand next.

  Bruiser just nodded back.

  After being introduced to Carter they all took their seats.

  “We’ve sent men to keep an eye on your house Boss,” began Mark. “And to Jez’s. They’re our best, I handpicked them personally.”

  “Thank you Mark,” replied Jules. “I appreciate that.”

  “Me and Carter oversaw today’s McVay shipment,” he continued. “Which went without a hitch. There won’t be another until next week, fortunately.”

  “We might have found someone who can help,” said Carter. “The Assistant Chief Constable enjoys using one of Jez’s escorts. She’s a nice girl called Melinda. Apparently the ACC has a thing for golden showers.”

  “Hmm,” said Jules. “It’s a good start but enjoying being pissed on isn’t enough. We need to have a hold over him so terrifying he’ll do anything to hide his dirty secret.”

  “Maybe he doesn’t have any secrets that terrible?”

  “He’s a senior police officer, of course he does. I reckon either Dwyer or one of his coalition friends knows what it is, that’s why he never did anything to stop Mikey and Jez being arrested. We need to find out what it is. If we can’t then we’ll create something.”

  “You’re talking about setting him up?” said Ryan.

  “Yes I bloody am. Like I said, whatever it takes.”

  “Setting up a senior police officer could bring its own issues and now the case has been committed to the crown court it won’t be so easy for an executive police officer to quash it.”

  “You have a point big bruv. Maybe I’ll just terrify him into submission instead. Luckily I asked the boys to check out the crown prosecutor too. If he can bugger things up during the trial then we could get them out that way, although I would prefer to spring them both before then.”

  “Unfortunately he’s gone away for a couple of weeks,” said Carter. “It was a last minute thing. That’s the most detail we could get.”

  “Shit,” huffed Jules, raking her fingers through her long hair. “He’s gone away so we can’t get to him, it’s too much of a coincidence. He probably won’t return until the trial. That confirms he’s also probably part of Dwyer’s coalition and he was the one who agreed that Dwyer had reached the evidence threshold for charging Mikey and Jez.”

  “Undoubtedly,” said Ryan.

  “Sorry,” said Mark when his phone rang. He took it out of his pocket and glanced at the screen. “I’ve got to take this,” he added before leaving the room.

  “Taking out Declan and McGinnis are our priorities,” said Jules. “Without them everything collapses.”

  “You mentioned Joyce Sweeney’s giving evidence too,” said Ryan.

  “She is but her evidence just props up the statements of McGinnis and the fucking traitor. Without them it means nothing.”

  Ryan nodded with satisfaction. Despite how much he dislikes them he has no wish to hurt Josh and Zach’s grandparents.

  “We need to speak to Mikey and Jez,” said Jules, looking to Ryan. “Unfortunately we can’t smuggle a phone into them. Strangeways is using those new phone detection kits, one of my spies on the inside has confirmed that for me. Some prisoners have already ended up in deep shit thanks to that tech. We can’t have the boys being caught red-handed, Dwyer would only use it to do them more harm, so we need to do everything face to face. I’ve booked you in to see Jez tomorrow afternoon big bruv while I visit Mikey. We’ll have to split our time between them. Remand prisoners are only allowed three one hour visits a week,” she added miserably.

  They were interrupted by Mark walking back into the room. “Sorry to interrupt,” he said. “But I’ve got some bad news. Our runners were just attacked. It was one of the shipments that were heading down to Liverpool, not the McVay one.”

  “For fuck’s sake,” snapped Jules. “How much got nicked?”

  “Nothing. They managed to fight them off and complete the drop but they’re both injured.”

  “Thank Christ for that,” she breathed. “Give the lads a fucking good drink each. That pair are real troopers.”

  “Will do,” he said, retaking his seat.

  “Are they badly injured?”

  “One got a knife in the arm, the other cracked ribs. They’ll be fine.”

  “Who was responsible?”

  “They can’t be a hundred percent sure as their attackers wore masks but they think it was Jimmy Robertson and his best mate, Noel .”

  “The jackals are already surrounding us,” said Jules. She got to her feet.

  “Where are you going?” said Ryan.

  “To splatter those cretins across the city to prove to everyone we’re still strong even though Mikey and Jez are banged up.”

  “I’ll come with you.”

  “Sorry, you’re staying here. I don’t want everyone thinking I need my big brother to help me sort out the nasty men. Mark, you’re with me. The rest of you stay here and get on with finding that pair of treacherous walking dead men.”

  “I take it she means Declan and McGinnis,” smiled Ryan smoothly as she stormed out with Mark. He couldn’t help but be proud. Jules was a strong leader and was doing her husband and brother proud. He looked to Carter, who was a new face to him. Jules and the others vouched for him but some of their men had turned on them in the past, so he was wary. “What’s your take on all this Carter?”

  Naturally Carter knew who Ryan Law was, he was a legend and he was pleased that he fully deserved his fearsome reputation. Sitting across the table from him he could feel the power and danger radiating off the man but it also made him wary. He got the feeling that if he displeased him he wouldn’t hesitate to kill him, despite how highly the others held him in regard, so he was determined to impress. “It’s a set-up, sadly carried out with ruthless efficiency. Dwyer has been haranguing us for months but has never managed to get anywhere near. When Amber and Estelle’s bodies were discovered he leapt at the chance and planted evidence to try and bring down Mikey and Jez. He’s a fanatic and fanatics are dangerous. Even if we manage to spring the bosses, which we will, he won’t stop.”

  “S
o what are you saying?” said Ryan, eyes narrowing.

  “There’s only one way to stop a man like that but it’s an absolute last resort. No one wants to kill a copper.”

  Ryan’s face smoothed out into a genial smile. He glanced at Bruiser, who nodded approvingly. “I agree. The police wouldn’t need to look far for the culprits. Dwyer is such a zealot he would probably be willing to die if his death brought us down.”

  “Sadly you’re right.”

  Carter went silent as Ryan continued to scrutinise him closely, relaxing when he eventually turned his attention to Bruiser. It seemed he’d passed his test.

  CHAPTER 17

  Dwyer hissed with fury down the phone in his office.

  “I helped you out Graham when you needed it. Now you’re going to return the favour. If it wasn’t for me you’d be banged up in your own prison for stalking.” He smiled with satisfaction. “I knew you’d see sense,” he added before hanging up.

  He’d been furious to learn that Mikey and Jez were being molly-coddled on G-wing. Thanks to the hold he had over the manager of the wing at HMP Manchester, they were going to be thrown straight in head first.

  “Get up,” said a prison officer, bursting into Mikey and Jez’s cell. “Time to move.”

  “Move?” said Mikey, blinking up at the man. “Where to?”

  “K wing.”

  “Oh great,” sighed Jez.

  “But I thought we were staying here for a few nights?” said Mikey.

  “Things change. Now get dressed and grab your stuff. You’re moving and you’ll like it.”

  The screw departed, both of them staring at the door when it was slammed shut with a resounding clang.

  “What’s K wing?” said Mikey.

  “It houses all types of prisoners, from hardened killers to blokes in for minor crimes. It’s one of the toughest wings in the prison. Ryan spent most of his time inside on K wing.”

  “This is Dwyer,” glowered Mikey. “He got wind that they’d put us in here but that wasn’t shitty enough for him.”

  “You’re right. He’s going to make life as uncomfortable for us as possible. They like to fast-track those they think will be troublemakers straight out of here and onto the permanent wings.”