The Poor List Chapter 4

8/14/2019 The Poor List Chapter 4

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The Poor List Chapter 4

There were seven of us. Thats all I can remember, honest.August the twenty fifth, McCabe. How did it all happen?I just cant remember. Its all in bits like.

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McCabe heard it first as an absence of something. Instead of the cityssubterranean throb there was a lightness where engine noise and traffic seethe

should have been. They could hear the crackled voices on the radio. McCabe hadslowly moved his hand down towards the seatbelt mechanism by his haunch.Further along the street, they heard percussion and music and a repeatedmegaphoned noise that gathered into echoing shouted phrases. Then actual voices,raw in the near suspended rain. How could this be happening? They slowed behindsome matt black Trooper, its rear window reflecting shifting sunlight into theirfaces. The seat belt came undone quietly.The fucks this? Tony says.Up ahead some fluorescent and light-stripped jackets of herded police shine andglint. They had driven and plunged through Londons steeped narrow streetstowards the river, past Georgian fronts, shame shaded hotel back entrances and

boarded up shops and bars, revved past most of the citys landmarks and splashedthrough grand, yet too small, streets. McCabe, had half slumped between the twoGovernment Agents and stares from the back seat through the rear passengerwindow as they slow down. The suspension of freedoms happen in little ways.Get the news on Boydy.McCabe looks around, relaxes and picks at a morsel of dried cement on his jeans,coughs, grimaces, looks around. A radio is tuned in. He lunges clumsily over thewoman to try to get to the inside passenger door handle. In one quick fluidmovement, though, she catches McCabes face with a shoulder blow and puncheshim hard in the groin. McCabe gasps and curls up in pain. In the street, threemounted police canter by at odd angles and hooves clatter.some semblance of order into this stricken countryTony winces and McCabe tries to say something. Lisa turns to him then to Dermott,
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Sorry about that. Some march or other? She says and scratches the slightlyenflamed orbit of her nose stud. A helicopter beats overhead and a out of thecorner of his watering eye McCabe watches a swing sway in a playground over theway.They pull up behind the Trooper. Boyd the Driver reaches over to the radio and a

procession of static, voices and music pass by.I did warn you. Mister McCabe. Dermott says looking at his watch. Were goingto be late. Must be another way round Boydy?Might be. Sav a look on the satnav.Whistling the chorus of an Irish polka, the driver reaches over to the device on thewindscreen front and pushes buttons with his thick set fingers.Time for a pick me up. Everyone? Tony, the man on McCabes right, says.He snaps open a seat compartment and extracts a small cloth bag. A flare amidstthe march ahead of them shines incandescent red and green and smoke pours overthe road."Long way round either way," the driver says.

Take the flyover by Thodsby roundabout." He helps himself to Tony's illegalsubstance. "So Mister McCabe, Dermott says sniffing over his shoulder, How doesit feel to be, back on the team again?The windscreen wipers whine a rubbery snigger. The man on McCabes rightbreathes in a line of twinkling dust in one smooth rasp.Painful. Actually.Dermott assesses at the figure in the back seat for a moment and raises his eyebrows slightly."Try some of this."There's a call on his pda and then in a space in the conversation says,

Look. Everyone has to do their bit in times like these though dont you think,Lisa?in connection with the attacks the voice on the radio was saying. The enginegunned and a siren wailed from a side street behind them. Tony snorted in derision.Absolutely sir. the woman says.McCabe sits up from his crouch and leans slowly back into his seat.Be careful. Says Dermott to them trying to catch their eye in the rear viewmirror of the sun shield.Yes. We're onto it Ma'am, he replies into the phone. The cars move forward andMcCabe watches up at the glinting towers of glass and metal ten twenty blocksaway as they drift by.

Hes no going to throw up is he Tony?Regrettably, this involved involuntary human terrain and resource depletion,but ultimLisa. Get me the rozzer in charge of this bleedin carnival." He hands Boyd theparaphernalia. "Hello. These twoll do here now, Dermott says.Right.Er, hold on.Tony stretches himself and puts the little red bag in his pocket as Lisa presses abutton on the car door. The window glides down and McCabe shouts for help. Lisacalls to the pair of police walking towards the demonstration. One of them turnsand stops, looking annoyed. McCabe continues to shout. Lisa reaches into her coatand takes out her ID and holds up her cards to them. The other officer fishes outhis ID-scan from its holder.


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Whats the hold up here?A march, Madam. What seems to be the trouble? KG 1654 asks walking over tothe window.There is a bright yellow padded jacket over his uniform and suppression deviceshang from his belt and shoulder harness.

How long is it going to take?Be about an hour I should think. Difficult to say. What seems to be the problemhere?Static voices crackle from their radios.But traffic can get through?Lisa turns to the struggling Tony and McCabe and whispers Ill fucking Taser youin a minute dick face.Im afraid not.The other officer leans towards the car and rests his arm on the roof.Look, were in a hurry here and we need to get across it?Im Afraid not madam." He frowns. "Regulations. Youll have to go back the way

you came. Is everything ok in here then? the taller officer says.But this is a one way street.Indeed it is madam.KG 1653 pulls a face at the struggle going on in the back seat.So we cant. And lookhold on. Sir, this copper reckons well be here in an hour orso.Dermott stabs a button on his pda and opens his window and says,Listen officer. Im with Inland Security Division at the Home Office. Heres my ID.The square faced police scrutinises the small heavy document opens it and scansthe tiny spray of dots. The device bleeps something inconclusive.

The what? Inland Security? Cant say Ive heard of it sir. says KG 1653 and turnsto his colleague. Have you?Inland Security Division?1654 purses his lips and shakes his head.New one on me squire.I dont want. To pull rank, officer, but I could get you sacked, says Dermott.Right. And I could get transport down here and tow your car away for havingwhat, three persons in the back?And kidnapping! Officer Im being kidnapped hereagainst my will. ShoutsMcCabe.Whats that? Well, if you were being kidnapped sir than I suppose it would be

against your will, wouldnt you say Malcolm? KG 1653 says to KG 1654 leaning in.He glances down at Lisa who stares back.I think you may well be right, Reg.Dermott is saying,Hes a suspect in an on-going operation officer. Weve got to get him to HQ anhour ago. Ring your chief if you dont believe me.The officer stands back up and waves to other police down the road. Struggling,McCabe says as best he can,Thats not true officer.There is some more shouting.OK. OK. Calm down. Reg get hold of Dutton Street. See if this Inland bollocksactually exists. An hurry up.He leans into the car window frame again.


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Now then sir. Whats all this commotion?Then, everyone is talking over everyone else. McCabe shouts that he is being taken,kidnapped and doesnt know who these people are. Insulator Tony holds McCabedown by his arm and shouts at him to shut it, whilst Dermott and Lisa, the latterrestraining and re-assaulting McCabe, convince the police officer that the person in

the back is a dangerous suspect."Quiet Quiet or I'll have to freeze the lot of you."The other police puts his radio back in his belt and says,Sir? Apparently this Internal Security Division is for real and theyre allaccredited.1654 sighs deeply. The noise subsides. He checks Dermotts ID again and hands ithim back.There you go.Dermott looks up at the aged officer,Get me through this march, right? Where in a royal hurry here.Well, the officer sighs and combs his hand through his brushed back wood

coloured rug, the thing is it might be a bit tricky. Hold on.He puts his hat back on and talks into his phone. A surge in the noise and chantingof the march drown out McCabes muffled pleas.1654 half shouts, Apparently, you can get through up there on your right. Watch itthough. The way things are..."They both duck slightly as a mighty firework explodes up ahead somewhere.Thank you. You heard the man, Boydy. Lets go. He waves briefly at the now wideeyed officer and the windows close."The two police watch the car speed off."You know Reg. Maybe that bloke was being kidnapped."

"What? Nah. Besides too much paperwork."Boydy shoots the car into the road at an oblique angle and forces a gap in theparallel line of waiting traffic. High up a giant plume of red smoke from a fireworkis swept towards the river. A horn blares then they hit the right hand kerb with aheavy thud. The last hundred yards of pavement before any marchs route arecleared of parked vehicles and Boydy speeds the tilting car along the glisteningpavement. Shop fronts and leaning, diving pedestrians flash past. Boyd laughs,City Death Race three.Lamp post Boydy. me out of this fucking car, McCabe shoutsNow, where was I? Tony says and picks up his little bag from the floor. The

muscles in Lisas jaw clench and turn rigid. Then hisses to McCabe,If you dont shut it, McDuff or whatever your fucking name is, Im going to reallyown you. I mean really. Fucking. Own you. Do you know what that means?Some sort of transaction.Wanker. It means Ill punch you harder than that in your ugly pugly face andyoull be waking up tomorrow fucking morning even uglier than you are now.She takes the small mirror off Tony. A cop on a horse by the junction raises hishand. They brake fifty metres behind some ragged police line.Fuck, Lisa says Fuck. McCabe rubs his bruised thigh. To their left a squad ofriot police run down the side of the road in tight formation.Mister McCabe. Dermott leans back towards them. You were well warned. Nowif you utter one more word in front of his majestys finest up here aboutkidnapping, being detained or other such nonsense, I will authorise Lisa to turn


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distinctly Guantanamo on your sorry arse. Crystal?Here. Lisa says to McCabe and offers him the mirror. But he only replies,Erh.""Oh. Drug surge." Tony says.They brake behind the police lines and a constable moves towards them. She

motions for the window and then orders them to wait. This should be interesting.she tells them. She shouts to a team of police to their right and waves them on.The ISD vehicle edges forward between rows of angry UAC police and into the midstof the crowded kettle of herded protesters.

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The Poor List Chapter 4