‘I don’t … know.’ She attempted to move. Her eyes widened with fear. ‘I can’t … move. I can’t … move my arms, I can’t feel them. I can’t feel … anything.’

  chapter sixteen

  Nash’s attention was solely on Stella. He placed his hand beneath her head to try to make her comfortable, it was then he saw the blood. Her eyes appeared unfocused. ‘Stella, come on. Stay with me, I’ll help you.’ Nash’s voice quivered as he looked at the girl he loved, trying desperately to avoid panic. He wiped the blood from his hand on to his trousers so she wouldn’t see. He massaged her arms and shoulders. Each time he touched her he asked if she could feel his hand. Each time she muttered, ‘No.’ When she realized he was touching her breast she began to cry, silent tears that formed in her eyes, then trickled across her cheeks. When she couldn’t raise her hand to brush them away the tears flowed even faster. Tears were all she could manage before she lapsed into unconsciousness.

  Nash heard shots from the ground floor followed by shouting. He heard but paid little heed. He saw the Bomb Squad leader leap down the stairs but the urgency left Nash unmoved.

  Beneath Stella, Wardle had regained consciousness and was whimpering. Nash looked round. No one was in sight. He leaned over the injured man. He placed his hand on Wardle’s thigh and allowed his full weight to bear on the injured limb.

  Wardle opened his mouth to scream but pain overtook him, his eyes glazed over and he passed out.

  Pratt hurried up the stairs with a team of paramedics, a doctor and a couple of nurses. The army officer had passed the word. The doctor’s examination of Stella was brief. Having attended to her head injury he instructed the ambulance men. ‘Netherdale General and drive slowly!’ He instructed a nurse, ‘Go with her, make certain she isn’t bumped or jolted. Tell A & E that I recommend she’s transferred immediately to Pinderfields.’

  He turned to Nash. ‘We’re not equipped to deal with injuries of that nature. She needs to be where they’ve specialist staff and equipment. Pinderfields is the best.’

  He winced when he saw the gory mess of Wardle’s leg. ‘I’d better treat this man next. I’ll do it as soon as they’ve got Miss Pearson away.’

  ‘No,’ Nash told him. ‘See to your other patients.’

  ‘But this man has a badly broken leg. He’ll be in severe pain.’

  ‘Good,’ Nash told the astonished medic. ‘Leave the bastard to rot for all I care.’

  He watched anxiously as the paramedics slid Stella gently on to a stretcher with a spinal board. ‘I should go with her.’

  Clara touched him gently on the arm. ‘She’ll be okay, Mike.’

  He gave Clara a look of such desolation she shivered. ‘Clara’s right, Mike,’ Pratt added. ‘There isn’t any point. You can’t do anything. Let the medics get on with their job. You’re needed here.’

  Nash looked around as if seeing the place for the first time. ‘I suppose you’re right,’ he muttered.

  Pratt called to the doctor. ‘Excuse me. I don’t know who’s in charge but I need all these patients evacuating.’

  ‘You’ll need to speak to Mr Butler, I’m afraid. I don’t have the authority.’

  ‘That’s not possible. You’ll have to deal with it. We don’t know if there are any other devices in the building. Apart from that, this is a major crime scene.’ At that moment Pearce marched Butler and Hill to the head of the stairs.

  ‘Okay to bring the prisoners down?’ The doctor gaped, open mouthed before scurrying off to make the arrangements.

  ‘Put them with the others and let’s get them moved. I want them transferred to the cells along with those so called security men.’ Pratt pointed to Wardle, ‘This one can go across to Netherdale General under guard. We’ll get the Bomb Squad to do a sweep of the building whilst they evacuate. That could take a while,’ he added thoughtfully. ‘Those that didn’t have heart attacks probably shit themselves when the charges went off.’

  ‘What happened downstairs?’

  Pratt smiled. ‘Wardle and Hill were either careless or overconfident. They didn’t secure that window you came through. By the time those charges went off I’d six armed officers in that room. When the rest came in through the emergency doors the guards realized the game was up and surrendered.’

  ‘Thank God. If they’d resisted it could have been carnage.’ Nash looked at Clara, ‘What about upstairs?’ He asked, forcing himself to concentrate on mundane details.

  ‘It worked just as the Major promised. We went up one fire escape, Viv and a second team went up the other. The blasts blew the doors off and we walked in, right on cue to grab Hill and Butler. The ARU are up there now checking for strays. We’ve men posted at every exit.’

  Pratt said, ‘We’ll start as soon as they’re clear. I want every member of staff interviewed. Nip and tell our lads to get names and details from everyone in reception before they start moving. I don’t want anyone slipping through the net. We’ll search the offices when the dust settles.’

  Nash felt weary. The adrenalin that had carried him through the siege and rescue had ebbed away. That and worry over Stella’s condition left him drained. When Clara returned, Pratt said, ‘Go find the kitchen. Take Mike and make him a mug of coffee. I’ll look after things here.’

  Clara led Nash to the ground floor where staff had succeeded in calming down the patients. Along the corridor Wardle’s men were sitting huddled in uncomfortable misery against the wall, their hands cuffed. Three armed police officers were standing guard.

  The Bomb Squad leader was entering the front door.

  ‘I’d like a word with you,’ Nash said quietly.

  ‘I thought you might.’

  ‘You’re a little bit more than a bomb disposal officer.’

  ‘I do have other strings to my bow.’

  Nash looked enquiringly.

  ‘When you started asking questions about Wardle and Hill you rang alarm bells. My CO was contacted,’ the officer grimaced, ‘you know how it works. Anyway the Old Man had orders to do what he could if we were asked, or to volunteer if we weren’t. You didn’t ask the right questions, Superintendent Nash. If you had, you’d have known that Wardle and Hill were both Sappers, known how dangerous they were. That’s what really terrified your contact. He knew if they were cornered they wouldn’t hesitate to use explosives. When we got the call from your chief my CO had already asked me to come along.

  ‘When I told him what happened at the farm he gave me the go ahead to become a bit more proactive.’

  ‘So you approached DCI Fleming about following us?’

  ‘Let’s say I suggested it.’

  ‘I suppose it’s no use asking your name and regiment?’

  ‘You could,’ the officer grinned. ‘But how would you know I was telling the truth?’

  ‘Or where you got your specialist training in things like charges to open doors and stun grenades? Hereford, perhaps? You said before I went in, “you need courage to succeed”. What you really meant was “Who Dares Wins”.’

  ‘Not a bad little town, Hereford. And that’s not a bad motto for a soldier; or a policeman come to think of it.’ He turned to Clara and took her hand. ‘Nice meeting you, Detective Sergeant Mironova, or could I call you Clara? Maybe our paths will cross again.’

  ‘Er … Clara’s fine and yes, I er … hope to see you again sometime.’ She smiled, praying that the colour wasn’t rising in her cheeks.

  He shook hands with Nash. ‘I hope things turn out alright for Miss Pearson. Don’t blame yourself. Remember, Wardle and Hill would have snuffed her out as you’d swat a fly.’

  In the kitchen Nash felt slightly more optimistic. The knowledge of his friend at the MOD’s concern and the lengths he’d gone to on his behalf helped lift his spirits.

  Clara was waiting for the kettle to boil. ‘I wonder how Jackie’s getting on at the farm?’ she said, trying to give Nash something to think about.

  Mention of Fleming stirred something in Nash’s memory. He thought about it, but whatever it was remained elusive. ‘Call her when you’ve made coffee. Tell her what’s happened and find out how things are there.’

  Clara passed him his coffee and received the satellite radio in return. ‘These sets are really good,’ she enthused. ‘Even when you were whispering we could hear you as clear as a bell.’

  After a moment’s delay Jackie answered. ‘Clara, how’s it gone? Have you got them? Is everybody safe?’

  ‘Very well, thanks to the army,’ Clara responded. ‘One or two problems but at least we’ve got them.’ She explained how events at the clinic had unfolded. Skipping too much detail about Stella’s injuries. ‘What’s going on there?’

  ‘We’re still searching.’

  ‘Found anything?’

  ‘Not yet, I’ve been looking through Wardle’s files. All that might be significant are some papers referring to imported cattle. I wondered if that might give some clue as to how the children were smuggled in. I reckon the really sensitive information might be stored on Wardle’s computer. Why else would they make such a determined effort to destroy it? I daren’t touch that in case Wardle’s rigged some sort of virus to wipe the hard drive clean.’

  ‘Sensible. Leave that for the experts. What’s Zena up to?’

  ‘She’s looking through some videos. I think she was planning to watch bits, see if they were relevant. Do you want to speak to her? No, hang on a moment. Zena’s found something she wants me to see. I’ll call you back.’

  It was twenty minutes later when Fleming got back to them. She sounded upset. ‘Is Mike there? I need to speak to him.’

  Clara passed the set across. ‘It’s Jackie, sounds as if she’s been crying.’

  ‘What’s matter?’

  ‘Mike, this video Zena found. It’s awful, really awful. Zena reckons it was shot near Sarajevo. It shows street scenes and people firing guns. Then in the middle of the shooting, it shows a woman and child. A soldier follows them into a house. The video follows the man upstairs. When the man with the camera goes upstairs—’ her voice faltered then petered out altogether.

  ‘Jackie, are you there, you alright?’

  ‘Mikhail, this is Zena. Jackie is too upset. The tape shows a man dressed in IFOR uniform. He followed a woman and child into a room.’ Zena’s voice trembled, her perfect English faltered. ‘Soldier shoots woman. Then he rapes child. All this is on video. The man shooting video must be in doorway. Scenes are horrible.’

  Zena paused and took a deep breath. ‘After. The soldier kills the girl. Before the end there are images of the same man setting fire to the house and leaving. Some are shot close to, they show the face and uniform name badge.’ Zena paused and took another deep breath. ‘The name is Butler.’

  It was a couple of hours before they were able to start searching the clinic, a process that would take most of the night. They started with Butler’s office, from which his computer and files were removed. Nash took little part in the early stages. His worry over Stella’s condition was compounded by the feeling there was something he should have remembered.

  ‘We ought to inspect the operating theatre,’ he suggested to Pratt when they finished in Butler’s office. ‘We need evidence the transplants were conducted here.’

  Accompanied by Clara they followed the signs along the empty corridor to the theatre. They stopped by the emergency exit and examined it. ‘Our man knew his business,’ Pratt observed. He shivered slightly, ‘The trouble is it’s left the building so cold.’

  They turned into the preparation room then on into the theatre itself. They paused in the doorway waiting for the bank of lights to reach full power. The room was bare and sterile. If anything, Nash thought, it felt even colder in there.

  Clara spotted a refrigerator and walked over to it. She opened the door. Her cry brought both men running. Nash felt his stomach heave as he recognized what was in there. The clear plastic boxes contained what were undoubtedly body parts, human body parts.

  Nash recovered slightly. ‘Where the hell have they come from?’ He looked at his companions. ‘They can’t be left over from the bodies recovered from the tarn. These are far too recent.’

  He looked round again then walked beyond the operating table to a large stainless steel door. His memory went back to his childhood, to the job he’d had in the school holidays. He’d worked for the village butcher as a delivery boy. When they were busy, he was also given odd jobs around the shop. The door Nash was approaching was just like the heavy steel door to the meat safe. He reached for the big, levered handle half expecting to see the carcase of a pig hanging from a hook inside.

  And there it was. Just where it should have been. Then he realized he wasn’t a boy any longer. And this wasn’t the village butchers. And it wasn’t a pig. Naked, eyeless, the body had a series of gaping wounds where organs had been removed. Despite the mutilation Nash recognized it instantly – the remains of what had once been Detective Sergeant Owen Thomas.

  chapter seventeen

  Questioning of suspects had to wait until evidence gathering was complete. Hill was charged initially only with the illegal imprisonment of Stella. Butler’s charge sheet merely covered the removal of human organs without the donor’s consent.

  Wardle was formally arrested and charged at Netherdale General Hospital where operations were being carried out to save his shattered leg. His charges were more serious, relating to illegal possession of explosives and unlawful killing of two police officers. Solicitors for all three men were left in no doubt that more charges would follow.

  Nash took time out to phone the specialist unit to which Stella had been transferred. The news was not encouraging and Nash was informed she was not allowed visitors. It was two days before Clara was despatched to take a statement from her. On her return, she explained how difficult it had been. ‘It was probably shock. The injury to her head has affected her speech and she wasn’t able to give me much information other than what we’d already worked out. She did say Wardle had been talking to Hill about the weather. He seemed concerned about wind speed. Just before you came, he spoke to someone on his mobile phone about them.’

  ‘I’ll go see her as soon as I can.’

  ‘Give her a few more days, Mike,’ Clara said as she turned to leave the room.

  All the security men had been interviewed and Nash turned his attention to Vatovec, charged with firearms offences and conspiracy to murder. Janko had relapsed into a feigned ignorance of English and refused to answer any questions.

  Zena came up with the solution. As she translated, Nash thought every English word seemed to be matched by a dozen in their language.

  It was perhaps as well he didn’t know what Zena was saying, but maybe he wouldn’t have been bothered. ‘Janko,’ she began, ‘this policeman wants you to talk. If I was you I’d abandon this pretence of not speaking English. Shall I tell you why?

  ‘Because I’ve applied to Moscow for extradition for crimes committed on Russian soil. When you get there you’ll be found guilty. You’ll go to prison for a long time. The British might resist such extradition, but only if they have good reason. The British are very keen to protect the welfare of prisoners. Did you know they have special categories of prisoners? For those who have committed sexual crimes, particularly if those crimes are committed against children.

  ‘Of course, we’re not quite so enlightened. We don’t believe it’s worth the effort. Let me explain. There are many prisoners in our gaols. Men who have been inside for a long time without the comfort of a woman. These men are not homosexuals. They are just desperate for somewhere to get rid of their dirty water. Any receptacle will do. As the English say, “any port in a storm”.’

  Zena laughed merrily. ‘Your cell would be better fitted with a revolving door. You’ll be in such demand. After a few weeks your arse will be like a paper hanger’s paste bucket. Then I shall come. I shall watch you walking bow legged, unable to sit down. Then I’ll believe you’re experiencing one small part of what those children suffered. Then I shall rejoice.’

  She looked at Nash and winked. ‘I’m almost sure Janko is prepared to cooperate.’ She continued in Russian, ‘Especially when I’ve told him that if he’s ever released from prison, I’ll ensure every relative of every child he’s harmed will be given advance warning of the place, date and time. I shall also pay their bus or train fares, so they can be there to greet him. And I always keep my promises.’

  She smiled again. ‘I’ve nearly convinced him I think?’ She spoke directly to Janko again. ‘All you have to do to prevent this is confess everything and hope to remain in England.’

  After Zena’s little heart-to-heart, Vatovec became talkative. He became talkative in English, so talkative they had to stop him to change the tape.

  ‘I was in Bosnia during the trouble. I sell arms to anyone willing to pay. It is normal, many are doing this. I was stopped one day by IFOR patrol as I was delivering guns. The leader was Hill. He took me in front of Wardle. They blackmailed me to supply women and girls, first for troops, then for anyone who pays. That is how it starts. Soon demand is too great for legal prostitutes. Still they want more. Then Hill make suggestion I go to the villages and kidnap women.

  ‘We used different ways to trap women. Still there is need for more. Next they come to me with new idea. They tell me of men who will pay much for sex with children. This becomes big business. There are many like this. They pay great sums for children to be sex slaves. Sometimes things go wrong. They get pregnant, they get disease. Then we cannot use them. Then we cannot sell them. That is when Hill is called for. He is,’ Vatovec paused, ‘executioner.’

  ‘What do you know about other parts of the trade?’ Nash asked him.

  Vatovec seemed baffled for a moment. ‘There are other things they do. They make trade in drugs. I have job of finding cargoes. They send more and more drugs. Also something to do with hospitals. I do not know what this is.’

 

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