A Picking Of Victims

A Picking Of Victims  

By Paul McCann

The corrugated ripples on the water reflected the blue sky up above. Harry and Jo sat in the boat as it made its way down the River Thames to Greenwich. He took Jo out for an unexpected lunch .She looked into his red eyes and asked

 “What’s the matter Harry”   

“To tell you the truth Jo. I’m fed up ,“ He said .

“With what?” Jo asked .

Harry thought for a minute and then he said ,

“I’m fed up with living and killing . I’m trying to forget the faces that haunt me everyday.“

She replied .

“What about loving Harry  , have you ever thought about that . Maybe it’s time to settle down with a woman and forget about the past  .”

 “Sure there have been times when I considered that Jo but you know  what’s the point , I’m suspended like bait on an invisible hook . There are too many sharks in this ocean of life and I know there are contracts out on my life . I’m a killer and my business is killing . Sooner or later I know what will happen to me . I know too much and the people I work for could at any time turn on me .  “.   

Jo replied  . 

“ You can’t entertain those thoughts Harry . Consider an escape and make a new life for yourself somewhere .”

She stared into his wild Irish eyes. He fixed a fierce gaze on her and replied .

“ Can you imagine me with kids and a wife . How many times I’ve wanted to do that but that can’t happen . I work for the underworld  and the only way out of my profession is with a bullet in the head and me placed six foot deep in the ground in some unknown place never to be found .”

“You could vanish , become like a ghost.“ She said

Harry thought for a moment and replied  “Yeah sure if only I could..”

“If’s a big word Harry” She said .

“Yeah , if I had two heads I could talk twice as much and eat twice much but I’ve only one . So what’s the point of living with the if only . It is what it is Jo.”

“Sure thing Harry . You’re a man with a mission ”

He lit up a cigarette and blew the smoke in her face saying .

“As I said , I work for the underworld . I’m a killer . End Of story .“

“If ever you decide on another life , let me know.  You can find me sleeping with the yuppies near Gerry Rafferty’s place on Baker Street  “

They both had a laugh and Harry said ,

“Well you’ll know where to find me . I’ll be living on the moon all by myself in a little shed on the edge of the Lake Of Tranquility . I’ll have your breakfast ready on the table when you come .“

Jo took out her lipstick and rubbed it over her lips . She ran a brush through her long blonde hair and whispered .

“I’ll let you know Harry . Don’t wait up just leave the light on .“

The boat arrived at  Greenwich and everyone made their way along the ramp to the sidewalk .  There were old sailing ships moored to posts and for a moment it was just like life had turned back time . Harry and Jo walked through the streets and took a seat in a park before having lunch . Harry was brought back to reality when his phone rang .

“Hello Harry here ..“

“O’Neil calling . No doubt Harry, nice work , no room for suspicion . We need you back across the water so finish the last job . We’ll have a heroes welcome for you on your return .”

Harry lit a cigarette and spoke as he blew smoke into the phone .   

‘Listen to me , I’ve been thinking and I’m considering to call it quits after the next one I’m sick of the killing and all the life style that goes with it .“

There was silence for a few moments and then an answer came .

“ I’m going to forget what you just said . Don’t paly games with us Harry. “

“Nobody tells me what to do . I make my own choices. “

Harry said .

“Harry. You’re currently the envy of every dead man that ever walked the streets IN Northern Ireland  Many people have been shot dead for a lot less than what you just said so get this job done and come home soon .“

“Hold your tongue. Its me you’re talking too ”

Harry replied.

“Do you mean what I think you mean ?”  O’Neil said .

Harry responded ,

“I’ve done my tour of duty .“

On the other end another voice spoke .

“We hear you and sure haven’t we all done enough  but the call never ends .The struggle goes on .You can’t just walk away  like nothing ever happened .“

Harry took another draw from his cigarette and blew out the smoke as he spoke ,

“After this job , I’m walking . You can do what ever the hell you like with that.”

Harry ended the call and took out a pistol from his pocket and checked that it was loaded . Then he looked at Jo who smiled and said .

“I love what you just did Harry. “

Harry looked at her with a cold expression and said

“Jo , or should I call you Smitty , the thing is now you’ve become a ghost .“

He put the pistol to her head and shot her . She fell to the ground with blood pouring out from her head . Harry ran away through the park to where a motor bike had been  parked there and drove off at speed .   He made his way to a pub and had a drink before asking the barmaid for small change for the juke box  . He gave her a fiver . She returned some coins to him .

‘Nobody’s played that old thing for years. “
She said as Harry made his way over to the corner to the juke box  .

He put a coin in a pressed a button and a Frank Sinatra song started playing ,

Fly me to the moon .

He waited until it was over before walking out the door . This was the start of a plan Harry had put in place for a long time , He had money stashed all over the place and the next move was to become a resident of the homeless community and watch the world go by for a while .

He made his way to a refuge in London where he assumed the identity of Digby Decker an alcoholic who had been on the edge of giving up the drink and making peace with his wife who had disowned him .

They accepted him into the shelter and after a week they gave him a room that  shared with John an elderly man who sat most of the day in the room with an empty mug in one hand and a cigarette in the other .

Harry played the role of a homeless man very well and got on well with most people in the refuge . It was a perfect place for Harry to disappear for a while . No one would have suspected that Harry was a killer on the run from the mob .

One afternoon Digby returned to his room with a bottle of cheap wine in his pocket n

John looked up from the mattress and spoke ,    .

“What’s happening Digby ?” 

“ The kitchen is closing in 5 minutes John and I’m told there is a  camera crew on their way to do an interview with some of the people in the shelter .

Looking up through half closed eyes John replied  ,  

“I wonder if the BBC would be interested in how I am going to blow up the department of health and social security building next Thursday if I don’t get my dole cheque ?”

Digby replied , 

“John you better keep out of sight and don’t be talking to anybody about what you’re going to do and who you are . “

Digby poured some of the wine from the bottle into Johns mug .

John drank down the wine and said .

“I really don’t want to do this job but the government make it too hard for me .”

“Do you know what I’m going to do John  ?”

 

“I don’t so you better tell me Digby just in case they start asking me questions .“

 

“I have information of a place that has to be blown up as well ands they’ve asked me to do the job . They are going to pay me for it John:”

“We are two of a kind Digby , cold blooded killers. “

They both laughed

He refilled Johns mug with wine .

“Well Digby  you’re secret is safe enough here with me  . I won’t say  a word to anybody .”

“I saw you with that new resident John , What’s his story ? ”

“His name is Gary , he’s 35 years of age . Said he referred to us at the shelter by  the welfare . He has a similar problem to us . That old issue with alcohol. Looks as if it cost him his driver’s license and then he lost his job as a taxi driver here in London . Following that his wife kicked him out and he’s with us now , on the skids , down and out on the streets . Says he been that way for the last six months .“    

 

“ So John , he’s just another one of the community here then ?”

“That’s right Digby  .”

“Which room is he in  ?”

“He’s in Room 66 , the double room on the top floor . He’s sharing with that Holy Hugh , the God fearing preacher man from Hackney .”

“Is that the same Hugh who they call the Hampstead Heath Rapist  ?”

  “That’s him Digby .”

The conversation was interrupted by a knock on the door and the voice on the other side shouted .

“Digby , John come on the camera crew are here at the front gate . “

“OK I’ll be there shortly .“ Said John who finished the wine in his mug  .

“I could give them the story of when I joined the French Legion John but I’m sure that would be something they’ve heard before .’

“Just lay low Digby , this should be all over in about an hour .”

Digby replied ,

“No problem , will you pass on my apologies . I am a slightly over inebriated for any interview today , you know what I mean .”

“Sure , is there anything else you need Digby ? ”

Digby replied , 

“I just want to get today out of the way . So tell the BBC film crew I’m not home .”

“They’re here to do a live to air documentary on our homeless community in South London .’ Said John .

He lit up a cigarette and casually walked out the door .

 

 

There was something about the new resident . Harry had a good intuition about people and he wasn’t comfortable about Gary . He felt his cover was exposed and wasn’t happy about a BBC  film crew snooping around .

If his face was seen on live TV that would be  the end of his safe accommodation in London .

Digby felt uneasy and decided to leave the room then made his way unseen from the shelter and the BBC camera crew .

Meanwhile on the top floor in room 66 , Gary was settling in and getting to know some of the residents . He exchanged a few stories .

Holy Hugh told him about all the visions he had and told tales of miracles and wonders he had personally encountered .

Out of the blue , Gary produced a badge and started talking quietly .

“I am here to investigate some criminal history going on in this place , I personally checked out every single person in this place and three people came up with a clean file . They are you , John and that other fella called Digby . So that’s why I am telling you this thing so you know . Now listen to me and do exactly as I ask . Tomorrow is Thursday and I do not want you to be here in this place all day . I’ll speak to Digby and John ;later on as this building is a really a front for running weapons and drugs . Its full of murderers and mercenaries . Tomorrow special services are coming in and heads are going to roll . I am working undercover and no one knows about this operation other than the people I work with . Tomorrow there will be groups of people coming through and they will not be asking questions . So just do as I say , stay out of this place tomorrow .“

Hugh could hardly believe what he had been told . He checking Garys badge a few times he realised that it was authentic, he was a detective and so Hugh thought that he better follow the instructions that were given to him .

Long after the film crew arrived they left the building . Digby had not yet returned but was watching from a place nearby .

Gary was unable to talk with Digby but asked John to pass on the news of what would be taking place the next day .

By the time Digby returned to the room John was fast asleep .

The next morning AS Digby went for some porridge , John and Gary left the building as the operation was going to be taking place very soon .

When police and special forces descended upon the place Digby became Harry the professional and immediately sprung into combat .

Now Harry had a stash of weapons all over the building that he had put there in case of an emergency . There were enough weapons to wage a small war .

The homeless shelter became a battlefield and Harrys response was automatic with an estimated 57 people injured and 27 killed is the slaughterhouse they called

The Staying Safe Off Street Project .

That evening the news of a terrorist attack became a major headlines story .

it was over the newspapers next day .

Harry had already made his escape without any injuries . Before leaving the building he burnt it to the ground . He assumed he was the target for the attack and was paranoid about how they knew where he was living . He went into survival mode and did what he had to do to stay alive .

Now he was unsure where to go and what to do .

He moved into a cheap bed and breakfast for a while and presented himself as a tourist in London taking in the sights .

Harry had no family or friends now and he had abandoned his comrades who were out to put him away  . Harry memories of being mistreated as a child in the  orphanage returned and he started to feel threatened by a  city he never knew and by people who had no idea who he was and what he could do .

He started to fear more and more people in the city of London where he had become isolated . Some changes where going on in his mind due to what had occurred in the homeless shelter .

He created a monster that he understood was out to destroy him and took up the operation to destroy as many as he could that posed a threat to him or made him  feel  insecure.  His fear of being a target for a hit drove dark thoughts through his mind . He imagined all those he had killed now plotting his destruction  .

Harry’s daily life was cloaked by a temporary insanity that consumed him with an  anger out of control. .

He found an abandoned warehouse on Blackfriars Road and started building  a bomb, which he intended to take in a backpack into town . His target was as many who were there . He walked around the supermarkets and restaurants, looking for any one who he though posed a threat to him .

Harry walked the streets and found a large crowd standing outside some movie theatre. There were lots of young people who were all out for a night’s entertainment Their excitement made him feel insecure  . There and then he decided to end it all for them . He picked his victims and their place of destruction .

Making his way inside the movie theatre with the backpack filled with gelignite and a timing device. Everyone had just taken their seat. . The Hitman opened up the backpack and activated the timer.

He took a last look at the audience that sat motionless staring at the screen .

No one moved, no one spoke, no one did anything.

Harry took control of his movements and made his way out of the theatre .

The bomb was set to explode withing five minutes and Harry could sense what was about to happen .He knew this sort of thing and had seen it many times before .

He knew that the entire place would be destroyed and that everyone inside would most likely be killed .

 

As Harry walked away down the street he remembered when he was a young boy and how bad things happened to him . That gave him the excuse he needed to justify taking the lives of all those who were happy with their lives .

 

He was left abandoned in life so nobody cared for him . Everything made perfect  sense to him. This was a pay back to all of that . He could see in detail what he had to do to even up the score .

This hit was only the first of many in his cause to end the torment that he had suffered all his life . He was an army of one waging war on everyone .

The parents who left him , the people who he killed , those he worked for , those he loved and lost and  all the sickness and trauma that occurred in his fight to overcome the enemy within that forced his hand to do this attack on the happy people at the movie theatre .

The bomb exploded with an shattering blast that sent people running for cover everywhere .

The next day the reports on the television and in the newspaper headlines covered the massacre at the movie theatre .

Harry had contacted the media and took responsibility for the attack .

He warned further attacks at any time and place of his choosing .

 

End