Love Thy Neighbour

Apologies for the long intervals between chapters but life gets in the way!

As always I love to have your feedback. There's no point in doing it unless others enjoy it.

*****

A baby!

She seemed to be moving our relationship along at a pace I wasn't sure I was comfortable with and some sign of that must have passed through my eyes. A worried look appeared on her face and she started talking very quickly.

"What's the matter? Don't you like the idea of us having a baby together? Is it too soon? You think I'm moving too fast... "

I lifted my finger to her lips to stop her.

"Luka... I don't know if now is the right time... I'm still doing dangerous stuff... look what happened to Ben. I couldn't cope with someone targeting you or our child to get at me. I could not live with myself if I lost you like I've already lost Lizzie and Megan."

My words hung in the air and I could see her thoughts in her eyes as she suddenly realised the possibilities of what could happen. That she could be in danger... that I could be in danger. Her eyes started to fill with panic and tears and she rolled away from me and curled herself up into the foetal position. I could feel her body shaking as she cried. I cuddled up behind her and made the big spoon reaching over to hold her tight and eventually she started to relax. I wondered what more I could say.

In the silence I started to analyse why it didn't make sense to have a relationship and a child with Luka but my thoughts turned to my own lifestyle.

Why was I doing what I was doing?

I started to vocalise my thoughts.

"Luka... sweetheart... I have been doing these things because it started out as revenge and that felt good at the time. I carried on because I had no one in my life... no one to care for... no one to worry about... I was empty... my life was empty and AFA filled a void... what I was doing seemed right... I was going after bad people and making the world a better place... but now I have found you... you have changed the rules for me. I can stop because I have you. In fact, I have to stop because I have you as I cannot allow you to be a possible target if they ever come after me."

She rolled back over towards me and her eyes were searching my face to see if I was serious. She still had concern in her eyes as she lifted a hand to stroke my face.

"I don't think I could cope with the loss of someone I love like you did but I would not want to be the reason you give up doing something you think is right. You will be the one to decide if you want to continue but I will not stand in your way. I will wait for you each time you go away and worry that you will not come back. But I cannot say that I will be unhappy if you give up this dangerous life."

I nodded at her to show that I understood the offer she was making but we lapsed into silence, each deep in our own thoughts. Eventually I broke the silence.

"I have to go back to London today as I have to complete what I was doing when you so rudely interrupted me."

She smiled.

"I did not... you interrupted me!"

I chuckled and put on a childish voice.

"So did... your loo was overflowing into my flat."

She grinned and stuck her tongue out and put on an equally childish voice.

"Did not!"

We were both laughing and cuddling and it was natural that it would turn into a kiss. A gentle and tender kiss the belied the angst and worry and sorrow at the parting to come and the unspoken possibility of me not coming back.

We broke apart.

"You stay here with Tess and get better and put on some weight and do your Kepler exercises and I will be back in two weeks after I have had a word with Zoltan as well as completing my task.

She grinned at my deliberate mispronunciation of Kegel but looked scared at the mention of Zoltan's name and held me tighter. I tightened my own hold on her.

"Don't worry I won't take any risks. I'll be back before you know it."

I heard noises in the corridor outside and knew that Mitch was getting ready to take me back to London. Luka seemed to understand what it meant and hugged me tighter before I got out of bed. We kissed long and hard and held onto each other like we were drowning.

I went to shower and get ready and Luka was still in bed with her head under the covers when I came back to the room. She was silent all the time I was dressing but I could tell she was crying from the occasional sobs and sniffles. She had obviously had more time to think about the possible outcome.

When I finished and had packed my bag I sat on the bed and rested my hand on where I thought her shoulder was. She shrugged it off and rolled away from me.

I thought I understood the gesture.

She didn't want me to go and was scared and angry.

"Luka, sweetheart, I'm going now. Please don't make it more difficult for me than it already is. In the words of the song... let's just kiss and say goodbye."

I could see her turn her head under the covers as she thought about this before she slowly pulled the covers down and I could see all the sorrow in her face.

Her voice was tremulous.

"That's really not a good song quote. They never see each other again. They are splitting up."

She pulled the covers back over her head.

How was I to know that she knew The Manhattans' song that I was quoting? I wasn't even born when it was a hit!

In a quandary I stood up. I didn't want to part like this but I couldn't force the issue. I got up and moved to the door and looked back.

"Bye Luka... I love you. I'll see you very soon."

No response... so I stepped into the corridor and closed the door behind me.

Tess and Mitch were waiting for me in the kitchen and looked surprised when they saw I was alone. I made no comment.

Tess handed me a travel mug of coffee and Mitch and I got into the Range Rover. I waved to Tess who was standing in the doorway as the car started to pull away and then saw her move quickly to one side as Luka came flying out of the farmhouse dressed only in my shirt from the day before.

Mitch stopped the car as the door was dragged open and Luka fell sobbing into my arms.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry... Greg... I'm sorry I was being a silly bitch... I love you and I want you to come back... don't die... I need you... I'm sorry... I'm scared you won't come back... I love you so much!"

I held onto her very tightly before we broke apart and I cupped her face with both my hands. I kissed her eyes which were puffy from crying and then the tip of her nose and gently kissed her lips. I hugged her tightly again and whispered.

"Of course I'm coming back I want to see what the Kegels do for you."

She giggled through her tears and punched my arm as we pulled back from each other mouthing 'I love you' at each other as I got back in the car. She stood in the yard and I saw Tess come over to her and hug her as she waved as we drove away.

The journey back was uneventful and Mitch dropped me off in Oxford and I made a circuitous route back to Herne Hill with occasional anti-surveillance measures before I finally reached the flat. All the way back I was in a quandary as I had the original task to complete and did not want to jeopardise it but I also wanted to resolve Luka's problem.

I had devised a way in which to make it happen without any blowback on Luka or AFA. and had sent my suggestion via the email cut-out to AFA. Whilst Zoltan and Bent were not the normal type of target they agreed that they did things sufficiently abhorrent to warrant a sanction. They quite liked my proposed solution and agreed to provide support and personnel after the primary objective was accomplished.

I was not really in a position to argue and spent the next few days waiting and preparing for the arrival of the guy who had been ultimately responsible for the death of Lizzie, Megan and Ben. It was strange that this now seemed somehow less important than getting Zoltan and I went through much soul-searching and agonising over the fact that I was dishonouring them by this act of defection. Eventually I rationalised it by convincing myself that Lizzie would have considered looking after the living more important than avenging the dead I and I at least gained a semblance of peace from this.

+++++++++++++++++++++

I will not dwell on the methods and outcome of the action against the Albanian but suffice it to say that he did not go peacefully and there was no attempt to hasten him off this mortal coil.

After all, Marine A's case has highlighted the illegality of such an act. Other laws may have been broken that day but at least we observed part of the Geneva Convention even if he didn't qualify for the coverage!

++++++++++++++++++++++

The water had been dripping the whole time I had been laying low in the flat so on day following my return I called the rental agent who promised to come over later and have a look which was convenient because I needed him to bring Zoltan to me.

Luka had explained that she had got away from Zoltan's bodyguard in one of the clothes shops by complaining to an assistant that she was being stalked by the guy. The assistant had called security to have him removed but he had not gone willingly and the police had arrived and had to restrain him with CS spray. In the confusion Luka had slipped away and took a number of bus, taxi and train rides in a form of anti-surveillance measures and ended up at Herne Hill station. She had gone to a letting agency run by a young Jamaican and had offered him most of the spending money for a flat for a month so long as it was done without any records kept. He had agreed and she had been there for 2 days before I moved in.

She started the detox programme immediately she moved in and was suffering on the first day when the guy from the letting agency turned up. The way he saw it she must be hiding from someone and told Luka that she could ensure his silence if she put out for him as an additional payment 'in kind'. Luka admitted, embarrassedly, she would have given him what he wanted had she not suddenly got bad cramps and was sick over his trousers. He had got extremely pissed off and had slapped her a few times and taken the rest of her money but decided against the sex!

By my reckoning he was the only one who knew she was there and was thus the prime suspect for having given her up to Zoltan who presumably had put feelers out for a missing Czech girl with a drug habit. I had decided to have a chat with him. Whether it was polite or not was down to him.

I walked up the stairs to Luka's flat and saw that the door had been replaced from where Zoltan's men had broken it down. I went back down to my flat and waited for the agency guy to arrive and pondered my options.

I could do him physical harm and extract information or I could use some very potent drugs to immobilise him and use others to get him to talk but I suspected he probably only made contact by phone and would not know where Zoltan was located.

The best solution was to get them to come to me.

The rental agent arrived about 6.00pm on his way home from the agency and he stood looking at the water damage doing a good impression of someone who didn't give a shit. I told him that I had not seen the occupant from the flat upstairs but had heard someone moving around so suggested that we go and look to see what was causing the problem.

H e looked sheepish and said that the flat above was currently unoccupied and he didn't have the key to get in. I pretended to get angry that he wasn't taking this seriously and that I knew there was someone up there especially as I had seen the two guys break down the door the previous week.

At this he looked horrified and made an excuse to leave before rushing out of the flat and into the street. From the window I watched him pull his phone from his pocket and make a call.

Excellent! He was letting Zoltan know he had a witness.

I knew it would take them a few hours to get themselves organised so took the opportunity to prepare myself and the flat for their arrival. Eating and sleeping when you can is one of the most important creeds of the military and especially in the special forces so, once I was prepared I set my alarm and dozed for an hour.

They arrived about 10.00pm which was slightly earlier than I had anticipated but I was awake and prepared and had heard them enter the street door and come up the stairs trying to be quiet. They just were not cut out for the silent approach. They were too large, too clumsy and unable to find the right places to walk.

Despite this the knock on the door still startled me as I had expected them to use a Universal Key and knock the door in.

I did a good impression of a surprised resident but moved silently to the wall beside the door hinges.

"Who is it? What do you want?"

They had obviously prepared a script.

"I am a plumber. The landlord says you have a problem with a water leak. I have come to fix it."

Under other circumstances I would have laughed at the irony of the iconic porn dialogue and felt like asking to see his wrench! The accent wasn't Swedish but Russian so I felt sure they were Zoltan's men.

I continued to play the part of the fearful resident.

"It's very late and anyway the leak is in the upstairs flat. You need to go up there. Not here."

A pause and I could detect whispering.

"Ok, but let us in to look at the location and damage."

I deliberately waited a while before answering in an uncertain voice.

"Okayyy... but stand back from the door so I can see you through the peephole."

"Ok."

I heard shuffling on the landing and passed a broom handle across the peephole to simulate someone looking out.

No shots.

At least they were going to ask questions first and shoot later.

"Why are there two of you?"

"He is my apprentice. He is here to get experience."

"He waits outside. I do not want both of you in my flat at the same time. You could rob me."

More whispering.

"Don't be afraid, we are plumbers come to fix the leak."

His voice was showing signs of exasperation and maybe he wished he had just bashed the door in.

"No he stays outside. You can come in. I will open the door now."

I reached across to turn the deadbolt and as I expected they both rushed the door as they heard the catch.

The door flew open and the first one went sprawling over the back of the sofa where I had strategically placed it in front of the doorway. The second guy managed to stop in time but by then I had closed the door again and had the barrel of my Glock 17 against his jaw.

He flinched and tried to turn his head but I pushed the barrel harder. His head stopped but his eyes tried to swivel. I pushed harder. They stopped swivelling.

The guy over the back of the sofa was trying to push himself upright so I hit over the back with the broom handle. It wasn't intended to hurt just to remind him that he was vulnerable.

"Do not move a muscle. Either of you. Now... we are going to take this nice and easy and no one will get hurt."

The guy on the couch tried to get up again so I hit on the head this time.

"I said DO NOT MOVE or I will shoot you both."

I turned back to the guy next to me as I felt him move and jabbed the pistol further into the soft tissue of his throat.

"I said DON'T FUCKING MOVE. Do you want the last thing you feel to be a 9mm bullet shattering your teeth before it exits through the top of your head leaving a very nasty mess of brain and tissue on the wall and ceiling? Frankly I don't give a fuck because I won't be the one to clean it up. It is your choice."

He stopped moving.

I needed to get them properly under control before the shock wore off and they started to think coherently.

I stood back from the guy by the door and motioned with the gun.

"Ok... now lie over the back of the sofa on the left of your friend with your hands out in front of you. Put your right hand palm down next to your friend's left hand. You... on the sofa stretch your hands out in front and put your left hand palm up on the back of your friend's right hand."

They both did as I told them and I hurried round in front of the sofa and looped a cable-tie over the two hands and got the guy on the right to pull it tight. I had slowed them down now and eventually got them fully immobilised on the floor with their backs to each other.

I got a good look at them. They were the same guys who had come looking for Luka. Definitely Zoltan's men.

I searched them. Surprisingly they were not carrying guns but I did confiscate a nasty looking flick knife that I thought had gone out of fashion in the 1960's and a set of knuckle dusters of a similar vintage. I also took their phones and wallets.

I sat and looked at them for a while and they looked back with angry but quizzical expressions. After a while I spoke.

"So did you come here to shut me up as a witness or to find out if I knew where Luka was?"

There was a definite reaction to Luka's name.

"Ahh so Zoltan is still looking for her."

His name got an even bigger reaction.

"The way I see it this will be at least the third time you have fucked up either as an individual or as a team and I just wonder how Zoltan will react. One of you let her escape in the shop and then you didn't find her upstairs and now this little shambles of a raiding party. I'm not sure he will be too happy. Never mind, I couldn't give a shit if he decides to make a snuff movie with you two getting starring roles. But... and it's a big BUT... what do I do with you?"

I let it percolate in their minds for a bit.

"Hey guys help me out here. Do I just screw the suppressor onto my Glock and double-tap you both or do I let you go? I have to say that the latter strategy has led to trouble in the past. I let people go and some of them come back to have another pop at me. That's just not fair, not cricket as we Brits would say. So my preference is to leave a big pile of dead Russian beef all over this carpet and go on my way. What do you say?"

My monologue had got them worried from the moment I started talking about Zoltan's reaction to their fuck-ups to the possibility of me shooting them.

"Nothing? No suggestions? OK I guess I need to talk to your boss. Maybe he will have an idea."

They looked even more worried as I picked up one of the phones and found it locked with a password. The other one was the same.

"Its ok guys I'm not going to ring him so don't start worrying... just yet. I'm pretty certain that he's going to be ringing you before long. Either he's impatient to know how you have got on or he'll start worrying if you haven't called in. So we'll just wait."

I sat down and watched them. I was nice and comfortable, well as comfortable as the crappy sofa would permit, but I could tell that their arse cheeks were going to sleep on the hard floor by the amount of fidgeting they were doing.

After about 10 minutes one of the phones did ring. Either he was close by or was easily worried.

I let it ring until it stopped and then, almost immediately, the other one rang. I let that ring out until it stopped.

I looked at the two guys and they looked nervously back. I smiled happily.

"I guess he will be on his way then. No answer from either of your phones means he knows you have really fucked up. He probably won't be too subtle with his entrance this time but if you are his 'A' team then whoever he has left will be a bit nervous... a bit trigger happy... they will probably come in shooting just to make sure... oh... and look who's going to be right in the line of fire... a bit of blue-on-blue friendly fire. Mind you in your case I guess we should call it red-on-red... see what I did there... a joke about the Soviet Union... oh well never mind I thought it was funny."