Babs’ New Year’s Resolution 96

© Beverly Taff.

Lola Smith Bab’s adopted trans daughter.
Callista Denton (Callie). Transgendered Duchess of Denton.
Margaret Denton (Maggie). Callie’s wife.
Molly Denton Callie’s grandmother
Ellie Denton Callie’s mother.
Bab’s Barbara Smith. Lola’s adoptive ‘Nana’
Olivia Smith Bab’s adopted daughter. Lesbian black artist
Angela Smith Bab’s adopted daughter Olivia’s lover
Erica Bab’s foster daughter.
Sergeant Bridie Davies Lady Police detective protecting the girls.
Sergeant Brian Davies. Bridie’s twin brother.
Inspector John, Heading up the anti-rape-gang operation.
Gareth Jenkins, Police office trained in firearms and protection.
Belinda Harrington Lola’s university girlfriend.
Aaron Talbot Surgical registrar – married to –
Shirley Talbot Lecturer at Local university.
Mickey Talbot Aaron and Shirley’s oldest son.
Jessica Talbot Aaron & Shirley’s middle daughter.
Bianca Talbot Aaron & Shirley’s youngest daughter.
Henry Denton Callie’s only son.
Charlotte Denton Callie’s only daughter.
Beverly Callie’s maternal great aunt (Ellie’s paternal aunt)
Wendy Smith Beverly’s Operations Manager for Hull
Louisa Wendy’s Daughter
Griselda & Mia Wendy’s younger twin daughters.
Susan Harvey Prosecution counsel advocating for Erica.
Han’s The policeman’s son Erica fancies
Uncle Phillip CIA Agent.
Emily Jackson. Texan girl Kidnapped to Holland & Turkey
Sandra Jackson Sister to Emily kidnapped in Texas as a hostage.
Eddie Emily’s Tandem surfing partner.
Chapter 96.

Sergeant Bridie lowered her mobile thoughtfully as she digested the unwelcome news.

‘Six months!’ She cursed silently. ‘He’d be out in six months. His sentence halved for good behaviour!’

‘Fuck, fuck, fuck!’ she cursed again for now she had to tell Olivia and Angela.
At the door to the cottage Bridie hesitated, she was dreading having to tell the girls. Finally she entered and her expression told both girls all they needed to know. Olivia stared at the floor as the anger filled her eyes.

“He’s out, isn’t he?”

“No, but he’s only got six months to run.”

“What about the others?”

“Ryan’s done something stupid so he’s lost all remission. He won’t be coming out for another ten years minimum, he stabbed another prisoner and attacked a warden. Tyson was implicated but he only lost his remission plus another year. Jason seems to have behaved himself, it looks as though he’ll be out in six months.

“Ryan was never the baddest one,” Angie observed, “but at least we won’t be bothered by him for a long time. Jason was always the worst and the cleverest.”

“Yeah.” Olivia nodded agreement. “Apart from being violent, Jason’s the type that thinks he owns a girl even when she’s made it abundantly obvious she want’s nothing to do with him. He’s a stalker, a harasser and a dangerous pimp.”

“Sounds like the nicest kind,” Lola added.

“Gee thanks!” Olivia snapped. “Make my day why don’t you.”

“Sorry.” Lola crimsoned. “I was being ironic and sarcastic.”

“I’ll approach the judge and try to get a restraining order before he comes out.” Bridie offered as she moved to nip any arguments in the bud.

“Bastards like Jason don’t even acknowledge the courts, unless it suits them. He’s a nutter.” Olivia finished.

The rest of breakfast passed in silence then Angie and Ollie left for school. When they came home, Lola had left for university by way of Belinda’s home in Cheltenham. Bridie had some small crumb of comfort for the younger girls insofar as the police had applied for the promised restraining order and Jason might be served with a court order banning him from going ‘north-of-the-river’ for five years.

ooo000ooo

With Lola back in college and the younger girls busy with exams, Canal cottage seemed to settle into a pleasant and quieter routine. Sergeant Bridie moved her stuff from the narrow boat into one of the empty bedrooms and Bab’s found it a comfort to have her around the cottage when she was off duty. The security arrangements had been relaxed a bit and Bridie’s brother sergeant Brian had returned to other duties.

Eventually the A-level exams came around and Bab’s was relieved when the final papers had been sat. Finally, Lola came down from Cambridge feeling very happy about her exams. The ensuing summer vacation promised to be a calm relaxing break. Boat traffic on the canal increased and the girls made a modest income that enabled them to avoid touching the deposits in their accounts that had accumulated from the rewards they had received from the Texas case.

Ollie won her art scholarship to the Royal Academy while Angie learned that her grades had opened up many new fields of opportunity. Her original modest ambitions to attend a tourism and catering course were put on hold as she realised the academic grades gave her many new options.

“I can study engineering at Imperial College with these grades and I won’t be far from Ollie in London. We can bunk up together.”

“Yeah; and look out for each other.” Olivia added. “Two pairs of eyes to protect our backs.”

“Well, with those grades,” Lola enthused, “the world’s your oyster. Belinda and I are taking a year out. Belinda wants to see the Canada and the US, so we thought it would fit in with being called as witnesses in Texas. We can meet you when you get called over the pond to give testament.”

She turned to Sergeant Bridie to ask.

“Have the yanks given any indication when the case starts?”

“Immediately after Christmas. They’ve arranged it so your academic studies and the Texan girls’ won’t be disrupted.”

Two weeks later the two younger girls were waving of Lola and Belinda from Manchester to Montreal.

“Well; back to the canal Nana Bab’s. Can we share the driving to practice for our tests.”

Bab’s cast a questioning glance towards Bridie who nodded.

“It’s your car Babs and the paperwork’s okay. Go for it.”

Bab’s smile towards Ollie and Angie.

“Okay girls, we’ll overnight in Manchester than take a leisurely drive home through Wales tomorrow. How d’you fancy a night in the gay village of Canal Street.”

The girls grinned eagerly then teased Bridie.

“Will you be chaperoning us Sarge’?”

“Only if you want it, I don’t think you’ll meet anybody you don’t want to up here.”

“What about you Nana?”

“I’ve got old Tran’s friends in Manchester. I owe them a visit. Just make sure you’re fit to drive tomorrow.”

Angie and Ollie needed no further encouragement and after sharing a meal in the village they went their separate ways.

“Just remember to phone every hour just in case; and if we don’t hear from you we’ll call you okay!” Bridie cautioned.

The girls smiled happily. They had no qualms about Bridie keeping a check on them for few knew better than they, what could happen to a girl alone. Bridie smiled as she watched them splashing happily away in the rain.
ooo000ooo

‘This is bloody ridiculous!’ Bridie mused as she paused in the bus shelter outside the concert hall.

She had joined several other concert goers to take shelter and was contemplating a taxi. Somebody asked the group generally.

“Anybody going towards Mac Donald’s hotel on Deansgate. Share a taxi?”

“Yes. I’m bound that way.” Bridie volunteered. “I’m booked into the same hotel in fact.”

Without further ado the other woman agreed to share with another woman and Bridie stepped out into the road to hail a cab. Most of the cabs going out of town were of course hired but the into-town cabs were returning to the main taxi ranks and for hire. Bridie quickly hailed one and the other woman joined her.

“I should have brought a proper coat,” she grinned as her opera shawl failed utterly to deflect the rain.

Bridie smiled as she gave instructions to the cabbie.

“You’re not from round here.” The lady asked.

“No. South Wales, though we do get rain like this as well.”

“Aye. Well this is Manchester; I’ll make no excuses.”

The pair chuckled as the Cabbie turned short around in the street.

“Been to the concert ladies?” The Cabbie asked.

“Yes they chorused contentedly.”

“Are you looking to eat?”

Bridie turned to the other lady and raised an eyebrow. She smiled slightly before replying.

“I was going to but the rain, -“

“I’ve got a table booked at the hotel; if you don’t mind sharing with some younger girls. We’re rendezvousing at the hotel, then they’re going back out again.”

“Sounds like a plan. Yes I’d love to.”

They continued chatting as the taxi picked it’s way through the evening traffic until they approached Deansgate when suddenly Bridie spotted Ollie and Angie skipping through the rain.

“Stop the cab please, those two girls are mine!”

“They’re black.”

“Yes we can all see that but wait a minute.”

Bridie wound down the window and called across the street.

“Angie! Ollie! Get in here, you’ll catch your death.”

“The girls obvious squeal of delight and instantaneous response convinced the cabbie that it was safe to stop and the girls tumbled into the cab with relief.

“Thanks!” They squawked in Unison. “We were looking for a cash point and it’s impossible to get a cab around here.”

“Are you still eating with us?”

“Oh yeah, then we’re going out again.”

“Oh yes.” Bridie grinned. “The luxury of youth. Don’t forget, were setting off at about eleven in the morning.”

“We’ll be there sarge!”

The other lady glanced at Bridie. “Are you in the army?”

“No. I’m a police sergeant. I’ll explain in the hotel.”

“Ooh, look! There’s a money hole.! Angie chirped as the taxi was slowing down at a set of lights.

“We’re a bit late for the meal,” Bridie observed, “if you need more money you go out later, you can collect later.”

“Even a Bridie spoke, there was a commotion followed by a scream as a woman in the queue for the teller machine let out a scream and raised her hands in the air.

There quickly followed a couple of shots then a woman screamed as a man emerged waving a gun from the front of the teller machine queue.

Having had experience of such activity before, Rosie and Angie dropped to the floor of the cab while Bridie slipped out into the traffic queue and surreptitiously drew her pistol. She watched the gun man running towards them and frantically trying car handles to expedite a carjacking. Bridie quickly realised that their taxi was at the front of the traffic queue waiting for the lights to change and being a taxi; it provided an ideal opportunity to secure a carjacking with the passengers as hostages to boot.

Thinking quickly, Bridie ducked down then re-entered the taxi-cab and crouched down low where the ‘dickie-seats- were folded up.

In his haste to hijack the taxi the gun man snatched at the nearside door and yanked the door open whilst snarling his threats. Firstly he threatened Angie, Ollie and the operagoer by telling them to bunch up in the far corner of the rear seat then he ordered the cabbie to drive south out of town down the Route A56.

“I’ll tell you where to stop, just drive!” He commanded the cabbie.

Up until that moment he had not noticed Bridie crouched down between Angie and Ollie’s legs and when he sat back to change his gun arm to prevent somebody trying to snatch his gun. Once he was settled he rested his gun arm on the windowsill and relaxed slightly.

With the robber’s gun now pointing upwards and away from everybody Bridie quietly took her gun out and shot the man’s wrist.

The sound of her pistol shocked the girls and the newly joined theatregoer in the cab but it was nothing compared to the deafening crash of the magnum 45 that the robber was wielding.

As Bridie’s bullet smashed into his wrist, his trigger finger reflexively tightened on the trigger of his handgun and fired off a round that glanced off the taxi then ricocheted across the street to embed itself into the door of a bank.

The recoil from his gun broke his paralysed grip and the gun dropped to the tarmac as he let out a scream and a curse.

Fortunately, the impact of the drop did not cause another discharge from the gun as the man cursed and blasphemed in rage. His fury terrified the girls but Bridie was accustomed to such outbursts in her long career. As the gun clattered under the taxi and out of reach she backed out of the cab and scuttled around the rear to grab the nearside rear door just as the robber was trying to close it.

By now the two gunshots had struck panic in the street and people were everywhere diving for cover. Bridie yanked the closing door open again and ordered the robber to get out.

He had tried to grab Angie as some sort of hostage but with only one hand and the other wrist in dire pain he was totally incapacitated. Angie leaned back against her companions and kicked out hard with her heeled shoe and the man let out a ferocious curse. He slid off the girls’ laps and crumpled into the space between the dickie-seats and the main passenger seat.

Now Bridie had him in her sights and none of the girls were in-line-of-sight behind him. She levelled her gun at him and ordered him out.

“OUT! Now!”

“He hesitated so Bridie fired a shot into the air to indicate she meant business.”

He finally realised where the bullet in his wrist had come from and quickly struggled to do as ordered. Bridie stepped back from the car making sure that the traffic was still stopped then shouted POLICE at the top of her lungs.

“Come of filth! Out!”

“My arm’s bust!” He protested.

“Your fucking head’ ll be bust if you don’t get out!”

He finally accepted that he was in no position to resist and he could not see his own gun where it had skidded under the cab. He struggled with one arm to get himself upright so Olivia gave him a hefty jab with her foot from behind Angie and he felt himself being painfully ejected from the cab.

By now, the cabbie had recovered slightly from the shock and he had turned off his cab and dashed around to stand beside Bridie. She alerted him.

“Call it in on your radio!”

“I have done and I’m nine-nine-ing now.”

“Good man. Get your first aid kit out.”

Every taxi in Manchester was required to carry a first aid kit so the cabbie reached in. Nervously he held it out to her.

“I can’t do anything. I’ve got him covered.”

At that a nervous voice came from the back of the taxi.

“I’m a nurse, can I help?”

“Yes!” Bridie replied loudly and firmly so as to keep control of the situation. “Get out on your side of the cab and come around the back.”

ooo000ooo