[b]Zafran Kebab
Croydon 
Two Weeks Earlier[/b]


“Diamonds,” Red said to the gathered members of the Crew. 

“Gonna pop the question?” Coach asked with a wry smile. “Hate to break the news, my son, but I am already spoken for.”

There were soft chuckles all around as Red shook his head.

“The Thursday before Easter, Zinkman & Sons Diamond Exchange will be receiving a huge order from De Beers. This order is going to be for their store, along with about a dozen more high-end jewelers in the UK, US, and Canada. The problem is that after Thursday, the Easter holiday shuts everything down until the following Monday. So, for three days millions of dollars in diamonds are gonna be just sitting in a Northwest London.”

“Five gets you ten they won’t make it to Monday,” said Charlie. “What’s the play, Red?”

Charlie could feel his excitement growing. He’d been skeptical when Red had phoned him out of the blue, even more so when he’d arrived to the kebab shop and been directed to the private room in the back. It reeked of goat meats and exotic spices. He’d watched Coach and Bobby come in and exchange pleasantries and awkward conversation with them until Red was ready.

“We go in either Thursday night or early Friday morning. I have a layout of the building and their security systems.”

“How’d you swing that?” Coach asked with a low whistle.

“Inside man,” said Red. “Courtesy of the blokes banking this one.”

“Oh, yeah?” Charlie asked. “Who is it?”

“Didn’t ask,” replied Red. “I figured… well, after last time it was best we stay as insulated from that kind of thing as possible.”

They lapsed into an awkward silence, a few glances in his direction from Coach. Charlie saw a hint of a scowl form on Coach’s forehead. Before Charlie could pipe up, Bobby beat him to the punch and tried to move things along.

“What does the security look like?”

“Two armed guards on duty all through the night. On top of that are alarmed doors that stay armed overnight. No need for the guards to leave until the store opens up. The rocks will be in the basement inside a great big safe.”

“The bigger the safe the better it explodes,” Bobby grinned. 

“Not this one, lad,” said Red. “Precious cargo inside. If you blow it all up, it’ll be worthless. You’ll be on the alarms, though. For the safe, I’m going to have to call in a specialist.”

“Who you thinking?” Charlie asked skeptically. He didn’t care for the idea of another person in on the job. Four was the perfect fit in terms of work duties and when it came time to cut up shares. Four ways always split better than five. And while he didn’t consider himself friends with the other fellows, but he at least knew he could trust them. They were reliable. An unknown quantity was going to take care of the biggest part of this job and Charlie didn't like it.

“What about Little Joe?” Coach asked.

“He’s dead.”

“Big Joe?” Charlie asked.

“In prison.”

“Skinny Joe?” asked Bobby.

“He fucked off to the continent after Old Bill tried to nick him,” said Charlie. “What about Just Joe?”

“He’s dead too,” said Coach. 

“I got a fella lined up,” said Red.“Any of you heard of Freddy Fingers?”

“Think so,” came Coach’s reply. “I think he used to run with Hanky Harry and his mob some years ago.”

“It must have been some time ago because he’s been on the lookout for a score for quite a while. What say the group?”

“If he can get the job done,” Coach shrugged. 

“Sure,” said Bobby.

All eyes turned to Charlie. He pulled out a cigarette and lit it before shrugging.

“Like it matters at this point if I object. Let’s bring the wanker in and see what he can do.”


---


[b]Zinkman & Sons Diamond Exchange
12:17 AM[/b]

“I would have a long, hard think about exactly what it is you’re about to do, Reams.”

Red clutched the courier bags full of diamonds to his person as he stared down the barrel of Freddy Reams’ gun. He could tell from the expression on the safecracker’s face that he meant business. He wouldn’t hesitate to shoot him where he stood, for all the good that would do either man.

“Trust me, I’ve thought this through,” Freddy said with a calculated smile. “You’re not the only one around here with brains.”

Turner nodded obligingly to accept that in Reams he may have met his match. “I’ve never doubted that.”

There was one thing on Turner’s side though. Red looked away from the pistol in his face for a second to catch a glimpse of the clock on the wall. It was eighteen minutes past twelve. They were a good three minutes into the “injury time” that Red had set aside in the event something went wrong. He knew his team. If he didn’t hear from Red in the next few minutes, Charlie would come sniffing around for trouble – and there wasn’t a man this side of the Atlantic that was quicker on the drawl that the Yank. Red needed to buy time. He needed to get Freddy talking.

“Let’s say you make it out of the building alive. Maybe you manage to pull the wool over Charlie’s eyes on the way out of here, maybe not. Then what? How are you planning on getting out of here lugging two bags of diamonds in the middle of the night?”

Freddy seemed completely unphased by the question. He shrugged his shoulders dismissively. “Never you mind how.”

There was an air of confidence about Reams that got under Turner’s skin. He wasn’t sure whether it had been there before, maybe he’d been so in awe of his skills that he’d not quite noticed it, but now they were on opposing sides it was as clear as day. He wondered how long Freddy had been planning to double-cross them. Was it his intention all along? Or had he seen an opportunity and taken it? Questions flooded Turner’s mind. There were more than he could ever hope to ask. Reams would realise he was stalling for time eventually. He had to be selective – so he reached for the most potent inquiry in his arsenal.

“You know who’s bankrolling this job, Fred. You really think they’re going to let you get away with this? They’ll hunt you to the ends of the Earth and back. And you know what they’ll do once they find you.”

For the first time a slither of doubt crept across Freddy’s face. It was satisfying to see. It confirmed to Turner that for all his coolness, Reams was as human as the next man. He could see the safecracker searching for a response. With every second that passed, backup was another second closer to arriving. He took a quick glimpse up at the clock again. Nineteen minutes past.

Finally Reams spat out the best he could muster in the way of a defence. “I’ll be long gone before our benefactors have a clue what’s hit them.”

A defiant smile appeared on Red’s lips.

“Well, it sounds like your mind’s made up then.”

A look of recognition appeared on Freddy’s face as he seemed to realise that Turner was stalling for time.

“Clever bastard, aren’t you?”

The pistol that Reams had allowed to slag ever so slightly from Red’s face stiffened again. 

“Hand over the diamonds.”

Turner extended the courier bag towards Freddy slowly and the safecracker snatched it from his hand. He used the butt of his pistol to direct Red back towards the safe to collect the other bag and Turner did so without complaint. His shotgun was still resting beneath his arm awkwardly, impairing his movement somewhat, and Freddy’s eyes seemed trained on it at all times. It was now or never, Red told himself, as he offered the second bag towards Reams.

As the safecracker reached for it, Turner dropped the bag to the ground and spun his shotgun round into his hands. He managed to catch Freddy off-guard and had him in the sights of his shotgun. For a quarter of a second Red hesitated, as if reluctant to shoot a man dead in cold blood. He banished the thought from his mind and pulled the trigger with a grimace.

There was no bang. Freddy was not sent flying across the room in a hail of smoke and sound. There was nothing. Only Freddy’s smiling face as he brought the butt of his pistol down against the top of Red’s head. He fell to the ground with blood seeping across his face from the roof of his skull.

The last thing Turner saw before his world went black was Freddy Fingers reaching down for the last bag of diamonds. His voice was cold and dispassionate.

“Like I said, you’re not the only one around here with brains, Red.”


---


“What the fuck is going on?” Charlie asked as he started down the steps. “We’re falling behind here. If you locked us out of that safe, then I swear to god I’ll--”

Charlie’s words died in his throat when he saw Red on the ground, Freddy with bags in one hand and a gun in the other. Freddy started to turn towards him, but Charlie already had his shotgun up and leveled at the man’s chest. 

Click.

“What the fuck?”

“Yeah,” Reams said with a lopsided grin. “What the fuck indeed. On your knees, sonny. Don’t make me bash you like I did your friend.”

“Getting antsy here,” Coach’s voice squawked from the radio. “We’re almost out of stoppage time. Someone tell me what’s going on.”

Freddy let the diamonds fall to the floor and put a long finger to his lips. He nodded towards the radio tucked into Charlie’s coveralls before gesturing with the gun. He didn’t have to say a word for Charlie to grasp his meaning.

“Finishing up here,” he said into the handheld. “B., you can start packing up. C., head on over to the rendezvous point.”

Both Coach and Bobby happily rogered Charlie’s commands before signing off.

“I’m going to take that with me,” Freddy said, motioning towards the radio. “Don’t want you getting any wise ideas. Now, on your knees.”

A few minutes later, Charlie was sitting on the floor of the basement tied up his ankles and wrists very much like the guards out on the showroom floor. Red’s prone body had also been hogtied once Charlie was securely restrained. Unlike the guards, though, Charlie was not blindfolded and gagged. Reams apparently had run out of cord.

“It was a pleasure,” said Freddy, hoisting the bags up over his shoulder. “You know, they were right about your crew. You lot are efficient and professional as hell. It’s a damn shame we couldn’t keep working together.”

“Freddy,” Charlie said in a calm voice. “I am going to give you one chance to end this right now. Untie us and hand the diamonds back over. I’ll beat you to a bloody pulp and you won’t get a cut of the haul, but you’ll be alive. Walk out on us and I promise you that you will be hunted down and killed like the fucking mutt that you are. If you take that option, you better get on a fucking boat to Antarctica as soon as possible.”

A broad grin formed on Freddy’s face. He raised his eyebrows and let out a chuckle.

“Ta.”

With that, he hurried up the basement stairs to make his getaway with their loot. Charlie made a promise to himself as he saw the fucker disappear into the darkness of the showroom. He would do everything he promised to Reams and so much more. But before he could even start on chasing the bastard, he had to take stock.

“You alright,” Charlie said, looking over his shoulder at Red sprawled out on the ground. “He didn’t bash you up too bad? Think we can maneuver around and take these bloody restraints off? Red? Red?”