The Samsara Project, David Burgess [most popular ebook readers txt] 📗

of the canal.
The two men stayed for a while longer looking down, scanning the surface of the canal. Satisfied their job was done they walked back to the Jeep, jumped inside, then drove off and rejoined the motorway.
Just over a minute later the viaduct was crowded with emergency vehicles of every description. An unmarked car with a detachable blue light and its sirens wailing pulled up to a stop where the incident had happened. DCS Hughes got out from the back of the car and walked over to the buckled and torn safety barrier. The British Racing Green paint marks were clearly visible along the barrier. The Chief crouched down and picked up a wing mirror housing that had been ripped off the John’s door, he held it tightly. Looking further along the barrier it was clear to see where the Jaguar had finally come to rest and then been tipped over the edge. The Chief stood at the spot, looking down at canal below. Less than half an hour ago he had been sat in the passenger seat of the car that was now firmly sat at the bottom of the ship canal. The Chief was not a religious man but as he stood there, he looked up towards the sky and said a short prayer. He then got back into the unmarked car and drove off in the same direction as the Jeep.
After travelling for less than thirty seconds it started to dawn on the three remaining gunmen that they were the only vehicle travelling in any direction on the motorway. There was nothing in front of them and a glance behind confirmed they were not being followed either. The gunman sat in the back looked up and saw the helicopters. Greater Manchester and Merseyside police forces had both scrambled their helicopters and the two were working as a team and keeping a very close visual and electronic watch on the Jeep. The men knew it was no use trying to outrun the helicopters and they were too far away to be in effective firing range. They quickly decided that as there was nothing they could do about the helicopters there was no point wasting time and energy worrying about them.
The two who were not driving started to gather their weapons together. They made sure the weapons were operational, when they were satisfied they were each was loaded. The collection of hand guns, rifles, grenades and ammunition were divided into three lots, one in the front for the passenger and two on the rear seat for the driver and rear passenger. The driver pointed ahead. In the distance a row, two vehicles deep was strung out across the entire width of the motorway. Safety barriers separating both carriageways ensured they were on the only road available to them. Looking behind they saw a similar, but mobile road block. The helicopters had now taken station either side of the Jeep, they remaining at a safe distance but were still able to feed constant information to the officers on the ground.
The Jeep did not stop; the three men were looking all around for a way out. The road block was getting closer. Ramming through it was not an option, there had to be another way, something the police had missed. A few moments later they saw what they were looking for. On their left was a small unfenced opening leading into a wooded area. At the last possible moment the driver swung the Jeep into the opening and off the motorway. The Jeep was now on its home turf; it was designed and built for off road use and the rough and uneven forest floor did not slow it down.
After a couple of minutes they saw an opening to the right, a couple of old trailers were clearly visible. They concluded it was a wagon yard or parking area of some kind. I any event the yard would be off a road. They had a chance. So much of the police’s resources had been deployed to the motorway that they would not be able to regroup quickly enough to stop them escaping. The spirits within the Jeep started to rise. They burst out of the wooded area, drove straight through an old wooden fence and into the potholed yard.
It was typical gravel toped commercial vehicle park. Puddles filled the uneven surface, the Jeep made no attempt to avoid them. They were looking for the exit; the Jeep drove around the side of a portable office and straight ahead was the exit they were looking for. What they had not expected were the eighteen police vehicles blocking it and any other way through to the road. The driver spun the Jeep around and tried to head back to the woods, they were met by a similar sight. They were trapped. Too late they realised the police had set a trap and they had fallen straight into it. The roadblock had been strategically place to give them the chance to use the opening to get off the motorway. They had not outsmarted the police and where now trapped like rats in a cage.
Suddenly the Jeep started to shake, gently at first then more violently. There was a deafening sound above them now that had not been there a moment ago. The interior of the Jeep darkened as the light was temporarily blocked. Looking out of the front window the three men stared in disbelief as the unmarked, matt black AH-64D Longbow Apache attack helicopter hovered twenty feet of the ground less then forty yards in front of them. No one would ever know if the three gunmen noticed the wall of flame that spit out from underneath the nose of the Apache, or if they heard the deafening roar as the helicopters Boeing M230 chain gun spewed out its thirty mm rounds. The Apache and its gun had been specifically designed to kill heavily armoured tanks and personnel carriers in the battlefield, against a Jeep there was only ever going to be one outcome. In less than two seconds the Jeep and everyone inside it evaporated. The Apache held its position until the dust settled around the area where the Jeep had been, then, satisfied there was no longer any threat; gained height turned around and flew back to wherever it had come from. On the ground there was nothing left to do, there was not even a piece left of anything that was large enough to pick up.
DCS Hughes and Peter got out of their Range Rover and walked over to the area where the Jeep had stopped. They stood there in silence. From that day to this DCS Hughes could not explain why but he spat on the spot, before turning away and walking back to the car. Peter soon joined him; “Is that it?” asked DCS Hughes “is it over?”
“Now, it’s over.” Replied Peter, as they got back into their Range Rover and drove away.
 
Chapter 22

As John started to come round he was aware that it was daytime, the sun was shining in through the window and there was a slight breeze of fresh air from the a slightly open widow. Suddenly and for no apparent reason he shivered, it was not the breeze that caused it, more as though someone had just walked over his grave. Although John was now awake he felt weary. He cast his mind back to the last thing he could remember. He was in his Jaguar, being chased at high speed, the car swerves out of control, probably a front tyre shot out by the gunmen following. He remembers losing control of the Jaguar and it veering sharply to the left, then hitting a mound of some sort. That was the last that John could remember.
John was getting a slight feeling of Déjà-Vu, he moved his fingers, then his hand, arms, toes feet legs. Everything seemed to be fine, no pain, no stiff joints, no back or neck pain. In fact, apart from feeling very hungry, he felt in remarkably good health. John looked around; he was pleased to see that he was not attached to any drips, feeds, machines or monitors. For a hospital the room was quite large, more like a good hotel room, LCD TV on the wall, telephone by the side of the bed, French windows leading onto a decent sized balcony complete with patio furniture. The room was also very well furnished with a three piece suite, thick carpets, plenty of wardrobe and cupboard space, chest of drawers and just to the side of his bed tea and coffee. Across the room was a door through which he could see an en-suite with bath, shower, sink and toilet.
Nice hospital, he thought, must be private defiantly not NHS.
John’s door opened and Nurse Rae walked in. “Good morning John, welcome back. How are you feeling?”
“Hungry,” he replied, “very hungry.”
“That’s a good sign,” she said, “I’ll arrange something for you as soon as we’ve gone through a few tests.”
The few tests lasted almost three quarters of an hour. “All things considered, you’re in remarkable good shape,” said Nurse Rae.
“Nurse,” asked John.
“Yes John.”
“Where am I?”
“You’re in one the world’s best hospitals,” said Peter, as he walked into the room.
“I just knew that you’d walk in any time now,” said John.
“Maybe the bump on your head enhanced your psychic ability,” replied John.
“I doubt that,” replied John.
Peter nodded in agreement, “and how is the patient?” Peter asked Nurse Rae.
“Very hungry but otherwise in good spirits,” she replied.
“Always a good sign,” responded Peter.
John asked Peter to pull up a chair, as he did so he asked Nurse Rae if she could arrange for some food and drink for John. “I thought you’d prefer to talk with just the two of us in the room.”
“Thanks,” replied John, “I never imagined that I’d ever have a conversation like this.”
“Take your time,” said Peter, “remember you’re talking to me, your brother-in-law. You have my undivided attention, I’m not about to rush off to see another patient.”
“The details of what happened are a bit vague, I remember being chased along the M62, I remember the bridge and I remember the car swerving to the left and hitting something and until today I remember nothing else.”
“You’ve been through a lot John, it’s not that surprising.”
John interrupted him, “What’s the date?”
“May 3rd.” replied Peter.
“That’s what I thought, “said John, “the accident was April twenty sixth, that’s seven days ago.”
Peter nodded.
“Look at me Peter; I’ve been in a major car accident and one week later and as fit and healthy as ever. No cuts, no bruise, no broken bones no aches or pains, in fact nothing to suggest that I’ve been in an accident at all. Is there anything you want to tell me?”
Peter took a deep breath and over the next twenty minutes explained to John in great detail about the incident on Thelwall Viaduct, how it came about and the extent of the injuries he received. Peter also gave him details of the rescue and recovery operation that was organised almost immediately after the incident. Experience had taught Peter, and his team, not to leave out any details as this only caused confusion later on and in certain cases increased recovery time. Finally John learned about the fate of the three gunmen who had chased him.”
“Do you know if this is over now,” asked John.
“It is John, the three gunmen that went after you were the last of the renegade group. We only learned about them a few hours before they struck. No one expected anything to happen so quickly, we thought we could