Chapter 4

Chapter Four 21/04/15

Saturday morning was bright and sunny, it was just before quarter to ten when David opened the cracked glass door to the Blue Bird.  Fat Sue looked up from the counter; the Daily Fascist newspaper half read.  "You owe me a fiver" Sue said slyly, then adding when no protest was forthcoming "You ran off without paying or eating"
David sighed and handed over a fiver and asked for another breakfast, no black pudding. Another fiver was demanded and passed over, David sat down exactly where he sat yesterday morning.

He thought about what had happened last night.  After Cathy had left he'd despaired; slumped in a corner playing sad songs and crying. Eventually the album ended and he sat in silence.  Finally his mind rebooted and began to tick.  If he could get through the door he could get out, the garage was next door.  Inspection the walls and floor he realised that there was no point trying to bash his way through.  The ceiling too high.  This left the door.  "Bollocks" he exclaimed, despair returning.  Just as he was going to give up he looked at the door, Mag Lock his brain shouted, Magnetic Lock.  Fitted on the inside, not the outside.  "The cheap shits" he'd exclaimed to himself.  He knew why the Mag Lock was this side of the door.

Who ever fitted it didn't know that the room was to be used as a Cell.

It was therefore natural to assume on fitting it the Engineer had expected that the valuables would be inside the room and the locks function was to keep people out.

Fitting the plates on this side of the door, that made it easier and used less materials, wallah more profit, more dosh!

David became excited, hopeful, moving the only bit of furniture in the room a rickety  wooden chair to the solid door he climbed up and inspected the lock, he could see the
off-white electric cable going into the plate attached to the frame.  He knew the other plate mounted on the door would not have any power to it.  Jumping down he grabbed the bowl removing the milky white plastic spoon and sucked it clean.  Snapping the spoon in half he tested which broken end was the sharpest. Returning to the Lock he slowly cut the outer sleeve, just as he had done the night before.  It was harder than before, he cursed not having a sharp knife or his screwdriver.  Eventually the inner cores were exposed, Red, Black, Blue and Yellow.  He knew two carried the power, the other two possible an anti-tamper circuit designed to stop him doing what he was about to do.  Cut the right wire the door would open, cut the wrong one, well it would be curtains.  Racking his brains he tried to remember the positions of the terminal connections hidden inside, he fitted so many himself.  Gently pulling on each one he surmised that the Red and Black were longer, deeper in.  He was sure the blue and yellow were the power.  Taking a deep breath he cut the Blue, the door opened an inch as the power was cut to the plate.  "Yes" he whispered in triumph.

Creeping in to the passageway he cracked open the door to the garage, he could hear voices.  A man saying "I've not been able to finish it, I need some more kit.  I promise I will be back in the morning say about nine.  It will have to stay in engineering until then, I'm sorry Mistress!"
A woman's voice replying in a Southern Irish Accent "I'm not happy, but if that's the best you can do so be it"
There was the sound of footsteps walking across the garage floor.  David flew back in to the cell, pulling the door behind him.  Holding his breath he waited, prayed.  After an agonising five minutes he took the risk, the coast was clear, also the garage was empty.  He looked around, a new intruder alarm control panel  was mounted on the wall its cover lay on the floor.  David noted that an engineer,s keypad  was dangling from the panel, the keypad displayed "Engineering Mode".  Smiling David picked up the pas and pressed keys.  A few minutes later he had put an extra user code in, guessing no one would notice.
Also he went through the program until he found out what the engineers code  was.  He saw the network card, this told him anything on the same network stood a good chance of accepting both codes.  Ensuring he left the system display as he found it he walked to the blue Skoda and checked the keys were still there, he punched the air when he saw them.  Moving to the garage door he saw that the alarm contacts were hanging loose taped together so whatever state the alarm was in it did not matter the door could be opened safely without warning anyone.  David also noticed a phone fixed to the wall by the door, next to it a phone list of all the current occupants, room phone and mobile numbers.  David pulled out his i-phone and snapped a couple of photos, he wasn't exactly sure why he did this, it just seemed something that he should do, maybe he could speak to Cathy, give her a call.  He cautiously opened the garage door using the manual over-ride.  All was clear, he could see the refitted manhole cover that he had lifted the night before.  Jumping into the Skoda he drove it out of the garage, stopping briefly to get out and shut the door, he was then away, safe, free.

He drove for five minutes or so, the traffic light as the evening headed towards its end.  David pulled over suddenly realising he had no idea where to go or what to do.  The realisation forming that she would come after him, had he just stirred the hornet's nest and made things in a way even worse if that was possible?.  "Shit, shit" he cried out banging the steering wheel with his fists in frustration.  He sat there in silence racking his brains when a thought, then a question, followed by a plan plopped rather than formed into his head.  He started the car and drove, looking, scanning the streets.
At last he had found what he was searching for and pulled over.  Putting his phone into flight mode  he then called up the photo of the phone list.  Finding the number he wanted he dialled the number using the phone in the red phone booth.  The phone rang followed by a sleepy answer.

"Mistress?" David enquired.
"Yes" She replied slightly annoyed but unsure.
"It's David, please listen to me"
"I didn't know cells now come with phones" She answered slightly sarcastically.
"I've escaped, you know, got out" David countered.
"Really! Well you can just un-escape yourself and come back now" was the snappy response.  She could feel here temper rising, She'd have someone's guts for this.
"But you're going to kill me" winged David "I didn't nick you precious cup, and I can prove it" he said quickly as she tried to interrupt him.
She enquired as to how, he replied asking about how she thought she knew all four men had entered the building.
Sighing and yawning Mistress E crossly said "Because of the shadows, you silly boy" and promptly hung up on her mobile, cutting David off in mid flow.  Her phone rang again, she ignored it and inspected her nail varnish on the finger nails.  The phone stopped, then her landline rang.  Crying out in infuriated frustration she answered it saying "If that's you again your dead"
"I'm already fucking dead" came the glum monotone reply; followed by "So why don't you want the truth than?, what you afraid of? If you won't listen I'm off to the Police"
"They won't help you" came the silky reply.
"Maybe" David agreed "But you might have problems that you would rather avoid, just tell me about the Shadows and let me have my say and I'll leave you in peace" David urged.
Sighing again Mistress E explained that looking back at the CCTV they could see the van arrive, there was a clear view of the drivers side of the van and its rear.  As the men descended the light from a damaged centre road island plastic sign was blocked and its shaft of light reappeared under the van when clear.  Yawning she made it clear that there had been initially four short periods of time when the light could not been seen.  Four men, four observations of blocking ergo etc.
David thought about it and asked "So how did Ahmed get into the back so that he could climb down?"
"Ahmed, oh the bald one who didn't want to eat his own balls" Emilia laughed gently "through the cab I expect"
David pressed on even though he thought he was about to be sick "There's no way through, so he would have to get out of the cab and get in the back, there aren't any side doors you know!.  Did you're CCTV show him getting out? No; so he didn't, so who was the fourth shadow blocker?  Ay?  It must have been the woman" David stated emphatically.
"Plus he smokes, I mean um smoked like a chimney, did you keep looking at the playback to see if he ditched a butt?" He added with some conviction and confidence.
Emilia pursed her lips and instructed him to phone back in thirty minutes before hanging up.

Tutting to herself she rose out of her bed and while slipping on a silk dressing gown; picked up the phone and dialled, on it being answered she said "Boy? Find me the man called Joe who owns and runs the car breaking business where the scum came from, bring him to me.  Oh and boy be careful my love" she said softly and hung up before vacating the room.  Twenty minutes later she was back, sitting on the side of the bed and waited.  The landline rang again. "OK David he stayed in the van, smoked and smoked almost without stopping, you have my attention, I want to see you, come here" she commanded.
"Mistress with all due respect no f-ing way" David chucked back "Your planning to hurt, torture and then even kill me"
Mistress E considered her response, she was beginning to feel very unsure about all of this, if it was lost for good it would be bad, if the wrong person had stolen it; there was a slim chance of it being more than bad.  She had to know, making her mind up she said
"At nine tomorrow I'm going to kill you"
David yelled back a "No, no I've got twenty four hours".
"At ten tomorrow you are to meet me in that Cafe opposite the yard, understand?"
"No not really" replied a confused David "How can I be there at ten if I'm dead at nine?"
"Trust me, I will give you parole for one week if you turn up, that means I won't hunt you for a week, better than me hunting you now, true?" She suggested. "Oh don't tell anyone your still alive, better if everyone thinks your dead, ok?"
David felt unsure, what should he do, with resignation he realised he had no real choice, not enough money to run, not enough skill to evade for long, he would just have to hope, and maybe even up the odds". "OK Mistress you've got a deal" he said with a tremble in his voice. "Goodnight Mistress" followed.
Emilia was surprised by this last remark but habits are hard to break so she said "Good night boy" before hanging up, getting into bed and switching the bedside lamp off.


David spent the rest of the night at a nearby customers house who he knew was on holiday, he knew where the spare key was as he had suggested the hiding place outside.  On entering he was shocked to find the alarm had not been turned on, but on reflection not so surprised, the old dear didn't really want it and had only had it to satisfy her insurance company.  Obviously she had no intention of using it.  After a better than expected sleep David showered and left, he guessed the lonely lady would never realise.  He collected the Skoda that he had parked a couple of streets away and drove to the rear of the yard.  Climbing through a small hole in the fence he tried to remain hidden while making his way to Joe's office  The door was unlocked, the office had been done over.  This amused David, he was always trying to sell Joe an alarm.  Moving the microwave revealed a smallish round hole about six inches across.  Putting his hand in he found what he was looking for.

He spent the next hour spying, checking the cafe out.  Fat Sue shuffled up at twenty to nine, opening up and switching the open closed sign round.  Eventually he realised the time had come and opening one of the unlocked gates that were normally locked when the yard was vacant; he strolled to the cafe while trying to look in all directions at once.

There he sat, waiting, tea going cold, untouched.  His tummy twisted and constricted with fear and worry.  He got mentally ready for her.  Apart from David and Sue the cafe was empty, even the TV wasn't on.  At ten of the hour Mistress E walked in, dressed as in an office suite with matching blue court shoes and a pale pink blouse.  She regarded David for a few seconds and then sat down opposite him. Sue offered coffee, Emilia nodded her thanks.  They sat in silence until the coffee arrived.  David nervous, Mistress almost amused.

"So boy are you going to give me that gun or shall I stick it up your arse" she enquired mockingly.