CHERUB: Brigands M.C. - Robert Muchamore Page 0,67
tutted. ‘I’m going to Devon today. I’ve told my contact that I’ll be bringing the full deposit in cash.’
‘All I can do is apologise,’ George said. ‘But I’ll make it right. You’ll have the other twenty-one thousand by Tuesday. Then I’ll pay you another five hundred for the trouble of sending an extra person down there.’
‘Five hundred plus expenses,’ Sealclubber said. ‘First-class train fare and taxis, might as well call it a grand all in.’
George knew this was a shake-down, but he wasn’t going to start an argument. ‘I appreciate your flexibility.’
Sealclubber noticed a half drunk bottle of Rebel Yell bourbon on his desk and tipped some into a filthy tumbler. ‘Your people don’t drink, do they?’
‘No, thank you,’ George said.
‘Takes all kinds,’ Sealclubber smiled. ‘You realise if I’m not going down with the full deposit your delivery date is going back a few days too.’
The CHERUB agents needed as much time as possible and these were the words George had come to hear.
‘Shit happens,’ Sealclubber said. ‘But my contacts might not be as sympathetic as I am. If you delay another payment they could bump the price, or even snatch your deposit and as far as I’m concerned that’s entirely between you and them. I’m just brokering this deal.’
‘I know,’ George nodded. ‘Once the deal is done and we have a delivery date in place I’ll start making arrangements for the transfers.’
Sealclubber grunted. ‘The next payment will be forty per cent, as soon as we agree a delivery schedule. Then the last half on delivery.’
‘I can live with that,’ George said.
‘Right,’ Sealclubber nodded. ‘I’ve got a bunch of people coming in before we set off and officially I’m not even supposed to let non-whites in here, so you’d better scoot.’
Before George stood up, he gave a fake cough, spat a piece of gum with a tiny listening device inside into his hand and pressed it against the underside of the chair. Out in the bar he saw that his keys and phone had been moved, and as he stepped into the sun he saw that someone had redialled his last call.
But the phone had been supplied by CHERUB and all the personal contacts and text messages inside it were fake. As soon as George was clear of the building he tapped in #611042# which turned his phone into a listening device.
As George walked along the canal bank Pikey and Sealclubber were talking.
‘Forty-two grand,’ Sealclubber said. ‘I’m tempted not to mention this to the Führer and keep the cash.’
Pikey sounded wary. ‘You don’t know who these Asians are. For all we know, if you rip these guys off we’re gonna have a swarm of Pakis come down from Birmingham to start a fight. Or a price on our heads.’
‘He’s barely a kid,’ Sealclubber said.
‘But who’s behind him?’ Pikey asked. ‘The only thing we know about them is that they can lay their hands on six hundred grand. Which means they’re deep in the drug trade and they’re not gonna be too scared to take on a few fat blokes in leather jackets.’
‘You’re right,’ Sealclubber laughed. ‘Let’s take our fifteen per cent and let South Devon deal with all the shit. You fancy coming down to Devon with us?’
‘Rather keep watch here,’ Pikey said. ‘Bike plays merry hell with my piles these days.’
*
Rhino turned on the charm as Chloe sat across his desk and flicked through a credit agreement set in six-point text.
‘It’s all very reputable,’ Rhino said reassuringly. ‘It’s a standard agreement between yourself and Midland Retail credit services.’
Chloe smiled. ‘So I won’t have a biker on my doorstep threatening to bust my kneecaps if I miss my payment?’
‘No indeed,’ Rhino laughed, as Chloe signed her name in a box. ‘And twice on the back,’ he added. ‘And finally we need an adult’s signature on young James’ insurance form.’
James stood in the background and broke into a big smile as a mechanic came and wheeled his new 500cc pride and joy down a ramp to have the restrictor kit fitted. ‘Make sure it doesn’t work,’ James whispered, and the mechanic gave him a wink.
‘So you just moved down here?’ Rhino asked.
‘Split from my husband,’ Chole explained. ‘I got a nice fat divorce settlement and I needed to get out of London.’
‘I hear that,’ Rhino smiled. ‘You don’t look old enough for James to be your son.’
‘You flatter me,’ Chloe answered. ‘Look at this grey hair!’
‘There’s a big bash at the Brigands clubhouse tonight. Would you be interested?’