The Gathering. Carl Read
had been secretly organising to leave the gang. He hated the violence of the other three and had hidden away money for his escape. Slegna would have to make Joe’s leaving beneficial to his plan.
He entered the outer aspect of Joe’s mind with thoughts of freedom and a way to escape punishment from the law. This would mean betraying his mates to the police in exchange for amnesty. Slegna could see the idea starting to take hold and nudged it a little more with feelings of righteousness. Joe would betray them in the morning.
Mick had idealised Andy ever since he’d rescued him from those four thugs. Normally, Andy wouldn’t have done anything. However, seeing Mick crawling along the gutter with a knife sticking out of his back while four thugs were kicking him hadn’t seemed right. Andy walked up and, pulling the knife out of Mick’s back, shoved it into the largest of the four. The shocked look on the man’s face was priceless. Andy then removed the knife and thrust it into the first thug that came at him. The other two ran off. Andy took Mick to the hospital, brought him home and had taken care of him ever since. Entering Mick’s dream, Slegna strengthened the loyalty between Mick and Andy.
Andy had some brains. The little gang prospered with him in charge. It was time for them to branch into organised crime. A suggestion or two would cause Andy to meet the correct people to help start their new careers.
Entering Andy’s dream state would be trickier, as Andy knew he was responsible for all his actions and therefore Slegna couldn’t terrorise him with his past deeds, unlike Mick and Terry, who made excuses for their behaviour. Joe, on the other hand, had never taken part in any of the violence. Terry had beaten him senseless and called him a coward after he had tried to stop them raping a woman. Andy had been forced to step in.
Slegna would send Andy to a meeting with some influential people with information to be revealed at the appropriate time. Leaving the boys to their dreams he went to pay a visit to the people Andy was to meet.
* * *
The next morning Andy awoke with a burning desire to follow his instincts. He told Terry and Mick to ditch the car and find another one. Joe was to find a different place to stay. They would meet up in two days at the deserted sawmill at ten am; until then they should lie low. While Terry, Mick and Andy went about their business, Joe set about cleaning all traces of his presence from the place. He then located a phone and rang the hospital.
“Good morning, Memorial Hospital, may I help you?”
“Yeah, I was wonderin’ if ya could put me through ta the nurse in emergency, please.”
“One moment.” Joe nervously waited for the emergency nurse to answer the phone.
“Nurse Collins, emergency.”
“Hello, was ya the nurse on duty when those blokes brought in that beat-up lady last night?”
“Yes. How might I help you?”
“I would like ta know if the cops was called and who would someone talk ta about it?”
“The officer-in-charge was Detective Laura Dunstan, Metropolitan Police Department. Does that help?”
“Yeah. Thanks.”
Joe found the number in the phone directory and rang.
“Metropolitan Police Department. Can I help you?”
“Could I speak ta Detective Dunstan, please?”
“Whom may I say is calling?”
“She don’t know me. Just tell her it’s about the bashed-up lady from last night.”
“Please hold while I transfer you.”
“Detective Dunstan speaking.” Joe was taken aback by the almost disinterested way in which the detective answered the phone.
“Yeah. Detective, I was wonderin’ if you have that program where ya protect people who squeal on their mates.”
“Do you mean the Witness Protection Program?” supplied Laura.
“Yeah. That’s the one.”
“Yes, we do, but it will depend on your evidence, Joe.”
There was silence on the other end of the phone as Joe processed the information. He suddenly looked about, wondering if she could see him. He started to hang the phone up, stopped and then went to hang it up again; she couldn’t possibly see him, could she? How did she know who he was? He didn’t know if he should continue or not.
“Hello, Joe, hello.”
Laura had turned on the recorder the moment she had answered the phone and another officer was also listening to the conversation. Her captain gave her a ‘keep him talking’ sign while they did a trace.
“How’d ya know it was me?”
“You’re the kind one. We know about all four of you, Joe, and the women you’ve taken.”
“Look, I had nothing ta do with any of them ladies. I tried ta stop ’em, but they went crazy like. They ain’t me mates no more,” Joe said, wondering if he was doing the right thing, except, he hated the violence and wanted out of the gang.
“I see. Why don’t you tell me about it?” suggested Laura.
“I watch movies, ya know. I’m hangin’ up now.”
“No, Joe, wait.”
The phone went dead and the captain shook his head in the negative. A moment later the phone rang again.
“Hello, Detective Dunstan. May I help you?”
“Yeah it’s me; now no more funny business. If ya don’t want me help, fine. I’m blowin’ this joint anyway. I just wanted ta set things right, that’s all.”
“Sorry, Joe. How would you like to do this?”
“Well, how does we find out if what I got is worth protection? I ain’t goin’ ta snitch ta have ya nab me!”
“All right, Joe, what have you got for me?”
“If I gives y’all the lowdown on the gang’s activities ya gives me that protection and I don’t goes ta jail. I want ta start a new life in another province.”
“Well, Joe, it would depend on whether your information is valid or not,” Laura said, glancing at the captain.
“I want ta meet ya alone someplace where we are both safe.”
“How about the park, today at noon? I’ll be on the seat at the beginning of the redwood avenue. Is that all right?” Laura’s captain nodded and gave the thumbs up.
“What will ya be wearin’ so I can recognise ya?”
“I’m wearing a dark-blue slacks suit and a firearm on my right hip.”
“I will be watchin’ ya for a bit ta make sure ya ain’t lyin’.”
“You have my word, Joe. There will be no other officers there but me. Do we have a deal?”
“Yeah, we have a deal.” Joe’s voice was flat.
The phone went dead. Laura turned to her captain, who had been listening.
“Right, I want the entire park blanketed with plain clothes police…”
“Hang on, Cap,” Laura tried reasoning. “I told him I would be alone and that’s…”
“I’m not sending you out there with some maniac…” started the captain.
“Maniac? He called us. If he wants to screw his mates over…”
“I don’t care who he wants to screw. I’m not putting one of my officers in deliberate danger.” The captain’s mouth met in a hard line. Laura knew she would have to do some fast talking or he would shut her down.
“Whose