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Nowhere To Hide
Alex Walters
They’re above the law and they’re watching her every move…A compulsively readable thriller, perfect for fans of Mark Billingham and Peter Robinson.The lines between good and bad are indistinguishable…On the North Wales coast two people traffickers are brutally murdered; a drug dealer is mown down in inner-city Stockport and in a remote Pennine cottage a police informant is shot dead. Seemingly random, these murders are the work of one professional hitman.Reluctantly, Marie Donovan takes on another undercover role and finds herself working with DI Jack Brennan, a high-flying detective with a tarnished career. Soon, mistrustful of each other and their superiors, both begin to suspect that they are mere pawns in a complex game of criminal rivalry and police corruption.As Marie struggles to uncover the truth, she realises that nothing is as it seems. With every move, she draws the threat ever closer until ultimately the killer is watching Marie herself. Out on her own, she finds herself with no friends, no-one to trust and nowhere to hide.
ALEX WALTERS
Nowhere To Hide
Copyright (#ulink_c9587449-55dd-5f2f-ae58-e007bb13a99c)
AVON
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First published in Great Britain by
HarperCollinsPublishers 2012
Copyright © Michael Walters 2012
Michael Walters asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of either the author or the publisher.
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this ebook on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.
Source ISBN: 9781847562876
Ebook Edition © November 2012 ISBN: 9780007452484
Version: 2015-07-23
As always, to James, Adam and Jonny for their support. And, of course, to Christine who made it all possible.
Contents
Title Page (#ub39b0c07-307e-5255-9dba-72d6747b096f)
Copyright (#ud691d028-2098-5f9e-9b1a-ec4cf0420888)
Dedication (#u9ad6f06f-4e90-5eff-8ffb-ad51cc371adb)
Prologue (#u3895fc09-5ab5-5fbd-8210-92238c79b014)
Part One (#u7c8e5c2a-23aa-51cb-8185-053b081e659b)
Chapter 1 (#u9a0f625c-db71-5ddf-880e-188010cc52cd)
Chapter 2 (#u612029e1-bf91-5668-9f98-24daf160461f)
Chapter 3 (#ucbf89337-0baa-514a-a6c7-e4921cc586a6)
Chapter 4 (#u38d3c197-b6ff-58e3-9668-e8f1d4487c56)
Chapter 5 (#uf574d076-ebaa-51ba-b2e3-5bc930eb3e8d)
Chapter 6 (#uec0283ab-ecfc-5785-b484-be9dc6dc44b6)
Chapter 7 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 8 (#litres_trial_promo)
Part Two (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 9 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 10 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 11 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 12 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 13 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 14 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 15 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 16 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 17 (#litres_trial_promo)
Part Three (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 18 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 19 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 20 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 21 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 22 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 23 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 24 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 25 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 26 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 27 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 28 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 29 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 30 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 31 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 32 (#litres_trial_promo)
Read on for case files for our undercover agents (#litres_trial_promo)
Case Files (#litres_trial_promo)
Acknowledgments (#litres_trial_promo)
About the Author (#litres_trial_promo)
By the same author (#litres_trial_promo)
About the Publisher (#litres_trial_promo)
Prologue (#ulink_17338427-c83b-53ee-bd5a-a9f404c67755)
They were some miles from the port terminal, out on the open road, before Hanlon felt able to relax slightly. ‘Shit,’ he said. ‘I really thought they were on to us back there.’ He was a short wiry man, muscular, with the air of having drunk one too many strong coffees during the journey over.
At first he thought that Mo was asleep. But the older man opened one eye, peering at him from under his trademark trilby hat. ‘You worry too much, man.’
‘Jesus, Mo. We’ve got plenty to worry about.’
Mo opened both eyes and shrugged. ‘I’d say not, wouldn’t you? All gone smooth as clockwork.’ He eased himself back in the passenger seat and jerked his thumb over his shoulder. ‘Not even any noise from back there.’
Hanlon glanced back over his shoulder. The two women were asleep. Partly exhaustion. Mainly the sedatives Mo had fed them as they were leaving the port. Christ, how had he allowed himself to get mixed up in this? Apart from anything else, it seemed so half-fucking-baked. ‘This worth the hassle, then, you reckon?’
Mo’s eyes were half-closed again, the hat slid low across his forehead. ‘What’s that, man?’
‘You think it’s worth it? All this?’
‘Not ours to judge, man. Being paid for it, aren’t you?’
‘Not enough,’ Hanlon said. ‘Like I say, I thought they were on to us back there.’
‘That was nothing. I been through far worse with those bastards. They didn’t suspect a fucking thing. Even with you shaking like a bare-assed Eskimo.’ Mo tried to sound like he was on the sidewalks of Harlem, but his North Wales intonation kept breaking through.
He was right, though, Hanlon thought. The passports had been convincing enough. The Immigration Officers had waved them through with no more than a couple of questions and a glance into the back of the car. He’d been worried that the two women might make a fuss, either on the ferry or when they reached the border. After all, it was their one chance to get free. But they’d played the game, just as Mo had said they would. Maybe because they were scared of Mo. They had plenty of reason to be scared. But Hanlon thought they’d just lost the will to resist. They’d been through too much. There was no future for them other than this.
‘Feels like there should be a better way of doing it,’ Hanlon went on. He just wanted to keep the conversation going to calm his nerve, keep focused for the long drive. Mo looked like he wanted to sleep. ‘Something less risky.’
‘What you suggest, man? Parcel post? Rolling ’em up in a fucking carpet?’ Mo slid the hat fully across his face, a gesture indicating that the conversation was at an end.
He was right about that as well. As long as the women played ball, this was low risk and cheap. Two couples returning from a long weekend in Dublin. Apparently legitimate British passports. Even the ferry tickets had been bought at a discount.
Hanlon was new to this. He didn’t even know how often they carried out these kinds of transactions. Not very, he guessed. They’d have other means of getting the women into the country in the first place. Most probably they arrived legitimately, lured by the prospect of jobs and money. Then, before they knew it, they’d vanished off the grid, exploited by thugs like Mo and the people he worked for.
Christ, he thought again, how the hell had he allowed himself to get mixed up in this?
Money. That was the short answer. A way to make the quick buck he needed. Low risk, they’d said, though he hadn’t really believed that. Just help them move the merchandise about. That had been the word. Merchandise. One of the less unpleasant words.
Hanlon didn’t know the background and he didn’t want to. Some deal had been done across the Irish Sea, and now they were bringing these two women – hardly more than girls – to work in some brass-house in Manchester. For them, probably no different from doing the same thing in Dublin. Crap either way.
They’d had cheap tickets on the last ferry of the day, so it would be into the small hours before they reached Manchester. God, he felt tired. Mo was snoring gently now, hat flat across his face. The privilege of being the senior partner, Hanlon assumed. You got to snooze your way across North Wales, while the junior oppo kept his eyes on the road. As far as he knew, the car belonged to Mo, though Hanlon assumed the car was stolen or the plates pirated in some way. Presumably, like the faked passports, nothing would be traceable. He didn’t even know for certain who Mo worked for. He had his ideas, but better not to ask too many questions, as long as they paid what was owed.
It was the first and last time, though. They’d suckered him just like they’d suckered those poor cows in the back seat. The difference was that he had an exit route. If they paid him what they’d promised, he’d have enough to settle his debts and get things back on track. Maybe even make an attempt to patch things up with Cath, if it wasn’t too late for that. At least stop her playing silly buggers about giving access to Josh. Not that he had any rights in that department, after everything he’d done.
‘Shit.’ He’d been driving on autopilot, his mind full of his unmissed past and half-imagined future. For a minute or two, he hadn’t registered the flashing blue light in the rear view mirror. He glanced down at the speedometer. It would be fucking typical to be pulled over for speeding. But, no, that was okay.
He leaned over and nudged Mo. ‘Fucking pigs,’ he hissed. ‘Behind us.’
Mo sat up with an alacrity that suggested he perhaps hadn’t been sleeping after all. He looked over his shoulder and peered through the rear window. ‘Christ’s sake, man. Relax. They’re not after us. Probably just the end of their fucking shift. Keen to get back to their loved ones. Or even their wives.’ He snorted at his own wit and prepared to stretch himself back across the seat.
But the police car was already overtaking and slowing in front of them, in an unmistakable signal for them to pull over.
‘Jesus, Mo,’ Hanlon said. ‘What the fuck do we do now?’
Mo was sitting bolt upright, looking less relaxed. ‘Let me do the talking. Keep calm and keep it zipped.’ He looked across at Hanlon, his gaze unwavering. ‘Nothing to worry about, man. Long as you leave it to me.’
‘But the car–’
Mo shook his head. ‘We’re not fucking amateurs, man. Vehicle’s stolen, but it’s a ringer. Licence plates match the type and colour. Name of registered owner’s the same as the passport. It’s all sorted. There’s nothing to worry about.’
‘So why the fuck are they stopping us?’ Hanlon was already pulling into the hard shoulder, carefully following the police vehicle.
‘Probably just routine. Not much opportunity to hassle a black guy out here in the sticks.’ He frowned suddenly, leaning forward in his seat. ‘That not right, man. Who is that guy?’ He watched for a moment as a figure climbed slowly out of the car in front, then turned to Hanlon. ‘Shit, man. Get started. Just fucking drive!’
Hanlon stared back at him, bewildered. He’d already cut the engine. Now, in the face of Mo’s unexpected panic, he frantically twisted the ignition. He slammed his foot on to the accelerator, misjudging the movement, and the engine stalled.
‘Fuck, man. Just get it started.’
