Going Under_ A Bill Roberts Thriller - Silas Payton Page 0,26

to say yes.

Bernie knew the clubhouse well. He studied the schematics when he took on the security duty. Tonight he held the roof post. He was glad to take the rotation and get some fresh air. He had only been out of prison for a few months after doing eight years for killing his girlfriend. He got out early for good behaviour, or good acting as he liked to say. By admitting what he did was wrong and taking a few anger management courses, the parole board thought he had showed remorse.

What a crock of shit.

Whenever he started thinking about losing those years, his blood started to boil.

She deserved it...there's no bloody way I should have gone to jail. I did the world a favour.

Sitting alone on the roof with only his thoughts to distract him, Bernie was the first to notice -- there was an abnormal stillness to the night. The traffic on Gerrard Street, which was normally fairly steady on a Friday night, was dead quiet -- in all directions. From his perch on the corner, he could see both directions on Gerrard and down the side street connecting to it -- nothing! The foot traffic also seemed less than normal. He picked up his cell and texted Ed Mathers, the security leader for the night, on the veranda two stories below him.

Bernie: Pretty quiet. Seem strange to you?

He waited as he presumed Ed was assessing the traffic flow for himself. In the short time Bernie had known Ed, he knew him to have good judgment. He was curious what he would think of the situation.

A text came back.

Ed: Something's not right.

Through the lookout holes in his hiding spot, Bernie peered over the edge of the building and saw Ed had walked down the porch stairs and onto the front lawn for a better look. It was dark out, but the street lights were on. Ed went to the side of the road and looked left. Then right. Then he turned to the left again and seemed to be searching for something.

Bernie received a text.

Ed: Bend in road to right. Nothing there. To left, looks like accident. Can't see. You?

To the left, Bernie couldn't see past a building on the next block, so had to go with Ed's assessment of the situation. He did find it strange he hadn't heard an accident. Truth be known, he was getting more than a little bored. It was possible his mind was playing tricks on him. After the second hour into his shift, he was starving for some entertainment. He got comfortable in his chair, nestled in his hidden post and watched. Waiting for something -- anything, to keep him awake.

Chapter 27

The Doctor

The doctor glanced over and seeing nobody in line, thought he'd take advantage to fill up his coffee. He noticed the traffic had stopped and the number of pedestrians had gone down as well.

It's started.

Settling back into his window seat, he put his coffee down and pulled out his Blackberry. He was not about to miss the chance for a few pictures of the action.

He knew his reputation allowed him certain privileges. He was called in for jobs where his clients didn't want any connections, or trails left that could lead back to them. If there was a situation where someone had to be dealt with, that was considered high risk for retaliation or getting caught -- cops involved, investigations, cases where people were already cautious -- he would often be asked to make it happen. But there was a price to pay for his methods. He was paid well for his expertise, however, it took time and had some uncertainties.

One of the variables in his practice was that his "targets" could be unpredictable. He always enjoyed testing how sound his therapy had been to ensure they were ready. This time was no different. Although a little more risky than normal, when the idea came to mind, he couldn’t wait to see it unfold. His boss was aware of his plan and trusted his judgment. With no risk of his actions being traced back to the Manchesi family, his boss didn't care.

Nobody in the cafe seemed to notice the stillness outside, but he did.

Damn this is going to be fun to watch.

Chapter 28

Inspector Bill Roberts

The regular force had blocked all driving and walking traffic, two blocks out, in each direction. There were still pedestrians within the perimeter who couldn’t be evacuated without alerting the bikers. The risk of bystander