Chapter 27 Target
It was every intention of the police to move Sue Arnold from the hospital under the cloak of darkness, but plans of this must have found its way to public knowledge. Two unmarked police cars departed from the entrance of the hospital. Anyone trying to see who the passengers were would be unsighted due to a row of trees dotted along the parking area edging. The lights round that area were not brightly lit as they were not essential for security and dark shadows formed.
* * *
Raymond Dodd spread-eagled himself on the roof waiting for the target to come into view. It wasn’t long before a black limousine swung into the road. His trigger finger was poised ready to take action when his eyes were averted to something in the background. It was a moment of hesitation, but worthy of his attention as he let the car speed on by. He had almost been fooled by the police deception of getting another car to join en route.
Another car came towards him and this time he was sure this was the target he’d been waiting for. His finger closed on the trigger which he lightly squeezed and there was the selfsame whistle and shushing noise as the bullet sped away. The car swerved across the road as the tyre burst and made impact with a lamppost. It careered off at an angle, slewing sideways and rolled over twice. Dodd waited for developments, but nothing happened. He wasn’t squeamish about killing a woman and he felt that his actions would condone and in some small way make up for his sister’s murder. In his churning mind, the thought of Gregg only getting ten years wasn’t enough. He fired another shot at the upturned vehicle – flames and smoke started to take hold and soon the back end of the car was well alight. Figures began to emerge from the vehicle. The smoke from the vehicle partially hid those who had managed to get out. Dodd was in two minds whether to stay and watch to see what happened. He hadn’t seen a feminine shape emerge and reckoned Sue Arnold was in the burning car unable to be rescued. He saw men just standing round the vehicle and then swiftly moving away and then the inevitable happened as the car blew up. Some windows from surrounding houses were smashed by the force of the explosion.
* * *
Sue Arnold felt uncomfortable dressing up in man’s clothing, it did little to show her usual curvy torso. She was allowed to wear a bra and her delicate panties, but everything else had to be the rough uniform of policeman’s kit and as it happens this uniform saved her life. The police car was specially built with added security measures and had more straps and air-bags than you could shake a stick at. The seat that Sue Arnold sat in was deep and it lowered her whole body below the level of the window. All the straps had been made with a quick-release mechanism. Sue was told to relax throughout the journey as she might do herself some damage if she held herself tense.
They never heard a thing until the car started on its wayward journey across from one side of the road to the other. A policeman’s voice shouted out, ‘Here we go – hold on Sue and relax!’ Sue’s mind was in a whirl, she tried to peep outside, but couldn’t move her head as the car spun round forcing everything to stay where it was. The car was going at fifty miles an hour and anything slower would have seemed suspicious. Sue looked forward through the windscreen and everything seemed to be going in a slow motion. She shut her eyes waiting for the next thing to happen. She would relax if she knew what was going to happen. Her world turned upside down, once and then twice and remained there. Air bags blossomed from all sides including the roof space. Straps were released and she glided down on the bags as they slowly deflated. They were ready to leave the vehicle – there was no panic or struggling. They heard another ping as their marksman had struck again. Fire and smoke had started from the belly of the car. The smoke was quite dense and then they made their escape. Everyone stood a few feet away from the burning vehicle when one of the police said, ’Run, she’s going to blow!’
Sue wasn’t going to wait another minute as the flames were so fierce. She almost fainted when thinking she could have been inside that burning wreck. Her feet floated above the ground and she launched herself over someone’s garden fence and then hot metal splinters shot into space as the explosion came.
* * *
Dodd started to clear up the two cartridge shells and dismantle his rifle and placed it in the oiled leather case specially made by him. He had been in two minds about Sue Arnold, she would have been a good bargaining ploy if he had kidnapped her, but it would mean him being out in the open and maybe captured. He knew Wragg was a shrewd person and he was a little afraid of him.
* * *
Dodd should have paid more attention to his instincts about Wragg for at that moment in time he was conducting a movement that could have dire consequences for Dodd.
Chief Superintendent Wragg was addressing an audience of policemen, some were unfamiliar faces and had been drafted from outside the area. They were an elite force of men who had been specially chosen to do a special job. It was a nasty job – it was one of their own who had turned bad and it left a bitter taste in the mouth.
He wasn’t in on the moving of Sue Arnold, perhaps secretly knowing that Dodd would be attempting something. He had been given a horrendous account of the situation and was thankful that his men had conducted themselves well and had, despite the interrupted journey managed to get Sue Arnold safely out of the way.