Read Online Angel Confidential by Mike Ripley - Free Book Online

‘I’m just the cab driver. Whatever you’ve got going down here is nothing to do with me.’
    â€˜Then why this, fool?’ Raider grabbed at the camera with his free hand.
    I pulled the tripod out of his reach and jabbed half-heartedly at his stomach, missing by miles. It didn’t seem to deter him. The Arsenal fan took a step to the side, putting space between them. Just what I didn’t want.
    â€˜I’m just looking at the merchandise, that’s all. They had a break-in here yesterday; maybe you noticed. They didn’t take the camera. Funny that, eh?’
    I didn’t think it was funny either, and my mouth had suddenly gone very dry.
    â€˜Maybe they wasn’t thieving, man,’ said Raider with a smile, making another feint towards the camera. The Arsenal fan moved another pace away from him and another pace nearer to me, though I still had the desk between me and them.
    â€˜Not thieving? Then what? The old man behind on his rent?’
    Or his protection money? Anything was possible.
    â€˜Maybe the old pig just ain’t wanted round here.’ This from the Arsenal fan, the one I was going to have to watch.
    â€˜And why’s that?’ Anything to keep them talking. As long as they were talking they weren’t hitting or cutting me.
    â€˜Don’t like snoopers,’ snarled Raider. ‘No snoopy snoopers wanted here, man.’
    â€˜Ain’t the old pig got that clear in his mind yet?’ Arsenal fan began to circle the Stanley blade. ‘You got that message yet?’
    Arsenal made a swipe at me, and though I knew he was still out of range, I reacted by trying to fend him off with the tripod. I had taken my eyes off Raider and he made his move, grabbing the camera and holding it down on the desk. He swung the hammer once and brought it down, smashing the camera casing and scrunching the lens.
    They both laughed at that, and they didn’t seem to mind that I was still holding the other end of the tripod. I pulled it away and held it in front of me again. They thought that was funny too.
    â€˜No more snoopin’ now,’ laughed Raider.
    â€˜The old pig and the white gash – think they got the message?’ I wasn’t sure if Arsenal fan was asking me. He decided to be more direct. ‘You clear in your fucking head, man?’
    Clearer than you are, sonny, but I didn’t say it. Whatever they had taken had started to kick in with the adrenaline rush of smashing the camera. There would be no pulling them round now until they came down off their high. I decided not to bother to try to reason with them any more. Face it, it hadn’t exactly paid dividends so far.
    I swung the tripod in an arc just to keep them at bay. I was almost backed up to the wall, with the desk and the two of them between me and the door. On the other hand, one of them would have to come over the desk to get me, so I might get a swing in at their legs.
    Raider feinted towards me and smashed his hammer down on the desk top. All noise, miles away from me, but heavy on the nerves.
    Arsenal fan sensed my fear and jabbed like a swordsman at my arm. Again, he missed by at least a foot, but it seemed much closer.
    Raider smashed the hammer into the desk again, laughing as I flinched at the sound. But maybe the only way to deal with them was to be as crazy as they were.
    I smashed the tripod into the desk two, three times, yelling: ‘That’s it, man! That’s enough!’
    It stunned them for about a second and a half and then they started laughing again. And I joined in, because behind them I could see Dod’s immensely welcoming bulk filling the doorway.
    â€˜Having trouble, Angel?’ he growled.
    â€˜Not any more, Dod,’ I said cheerfully.
    Raider swung around, saw Dod, and didn’t give me a backward glance, just headed for the doorway, which was really stupid as Dod was blocking it. I don’t know what he had in mind;