Easy As Falling Off A Bike
by Angharad
part 251

I ran over to my car, Stella's bag was still down in the footwell. I felt my eyes tear up. They had taken her.

"What the hell is going on?" Tom was stood by my side.

"They've got Stella."

"Who's got Stella?"

"Those bastards, the Russian ones."

"How do you know?"

"I recognised the one who tried to take me."

"Is that who was lying on the pavement by the department?"

"Yes, he was one of the ones who tried to knock me off my bike."

"How did he get knocked out?"

"You don't want to know."

"Cathy, did you knock him down?"

"Yes, he pulled a gun on me, oh shit!" I began to run towards the entrance. The big Russian was on his feet, albeit unsteadily. He was waving the gun and people were giving him a wide berth.

"Where have they taken Stella?" I screamed at him.

"You little bitch, you think you can get the better of Ivan, huh!" He aimed the gun at me and I stood there unafraid.

"Put it down or I'll kill you!" I screamed at him.

"No girly, I kill you."

I pushed Tom out of the way and stepped towards him he pointed the gun at me then after the sound of pot breaking he crumpled and fell headlong onto the flagstones. Pippa stood behind him the remains of a Swiss cheese plant in her hands.

"Oops!" she said.

Another member of staff kicked the gun away from the limp hand which had threatened me moments ago.

I dashed forwards to hug Pippa and thank her for saving my life. She was trembling and crying, so was I. Police sirens sounded in the car park. Part of me wished they'd stayed away longer so I could extract Stella's whereabouts from our captive, assuming we hadn't actually killed him.

For the next two hours, I drank tea, trembled and answered questions. It seemed there was some organised crime in which Russian mobs were involved, in the Portsmouth area.

It seems that having set me up with the phone call, they took Stella, maybe they were going to anyway, but they hit a car as they were leaving, which meant their vehicle was easier to get sightings of, they were dragging a front bumper.

Of course they abandoned the car and set fire to it to destroy evidence. Another must-have met them. According to the driver of the car they hit, thankfully a big old Ford, there were two men in the Landcruiser, one of whom seemed to be fighting with a woman.

I was led to Tom's office to give my statement. "Oh not you!" It was the detective constable I'd met over the poison pen letters.
"What's this I hear about you laying out some Ruskie thug?"

"He wanted to pinch my bum." I joked.

"I wondered if he'd sent you a nasty letter."

"Is he alright?"

"I don't think we'll charge you with assault."

"He got up after I hit him, admittedly a few minutes later."

"Your secretary decked him I hear."

"Yep, caught him with her shorthand pad, old Ninja trick."

"Cathy, please be serious. I believe a plant pot assisted her."

"Yes, the guy was going to shoot me. He'd had one try when I hit him."

"You hit him?"

"No, I kicked him, Stella had been teaching me some kickboxing, it worked."

"You laid out one of these boys before, you caught a thief, rescued a kiddie from a burning car. You don't have an 'S' on your vest and wear your panties over your tights, do you?"

"No. Just lucky, I suppose."

"Lucky! You're a one woman anti-crime wave."

"So what do we do now?" I asked.

"Nothing until we tell you. They have your mobile number, they'll be in touch, probably making threats to harm Lady Cameron, the other one."

"I'm not one yet. I have to marry Simon first, then I get the title as part of the compensation package."

She smiled at my joke, "Is life with the elite that bad, then?"

"Nah, they're okay, a bit undomesticated but I lay the law down when I have to."

My phone started to ring, I froze and my stomach did backflips. I looked at the number calling, it was Simon.

"What the hell is going on?" he demanded.

"I'm still talking to the police, can I call you back?"

"Yes, why didn't you call me earlier?"

"Simon, I'm still talking to the police, as far as I know Tom or Pippa were going to call your dad and he was going to notify you. They obviously did."

"No I found out while on my prayer mat, of course he told me, why couldn't you?"

"Simon, I am still with the police, the bad guys have this phone number, so will you please get off the line."

"There is no line, it's a mobile."

"Simon, piss off, I'll see you later. I have to go." I ended the call. "Sorry about that."

"It's okay, he's obviously worried about his sister," commented the young copper.

I read my statement when she got it typed up and I signed it as being an accurate account of what I believed happened. I was just about to go, when a superintendent entered the room, a man in his late thirties with a morose expression.

"Miss Watts, on no account are you to try and deal with these people by yourself. They are extremely dangerous. Last week they killed a Russian businessman in London, and two of his bodyguards. Don't mess with them, I mean it."

Oh bugger! All I have to protect me is Simon and I suspect I might have to protect him, he'd either go ape and get himself killed or injured or he'd go all wuss on me.

I felt a twinge of discomfort down below, I hoped my stitches had held and I certainly would not be dilating tonight. I consoled myself with the fact that if I hadn't fought the bloke off, I might be dead by now so protecting my surgical wound would be irrelevant. I prayed that Stella was okay.

"What do I do if they phone?" I asked the senior officer.

"Oh my people will take care of that, we'll tell you what to say."

"What do you mean, exactly?"

"Oh you'll have a couple of my officers with you at all times. They'll use one of these eavesdropping machines, with your consent of course."

"I have a choice?"

"Of course Miss Watts, but I can't answer for the consequences if you don't heed our advice, and have to warn you that it's an imprisonable offence to obstruct the police."

"Thanks, I really needed to know that. I'm hardly going to put my sister's life at risk am I?"

"I didn't know you were related."

"She is like a sister to me and I love her as one. I wouldn't do anything to put her at risk, assuming she is still alive."

"One has to assume so."

"Has the one we captured told you anything?"

"He's in hospital with a fractured skull, you hit him harder than you thought."

"I think my secretary may be the one who doesn't know her own strength."

"Perhaps, we did have a witness to your response to the gun. They said it was something out of a Kung Fu film. You're not a licensed martial arts practitioner, by any chance?"

"No, but he was trying to kill me."

"I doubt there'll be any charges for your assault."

"Charges, he had a gun on me, it was self-defence."

"Look, I don't make the laws, I just enforce them where I can."

"Have you ever had someone hold a loaded gun on you?"

"Yes, once, why?"

"What did you do?"

"I shot him dead, why?"

"I would have done too, maybe you could loan me a gun?"

"Fortunately no, unless you've had a specified amount of training, you shouldn't be near a gun."

"Tell that to the bad guys and I'll do my bit to keep away from guns too."

"Don't try to acquire a shotgun or anything, we'll turn you down."

"Oh that's alright, I'll just use my rocket-propelled grenade and Japanese sword."

"I hope that is sarcasm not a statement of fact."

"Of course it is. Can I go now?"

"Yes, my men are waiting for you at Professor Agnew's house."

As I left, I wondered how I could arm myself. I know statistically if you carry a gun you are more likely to be shot, or stabbed if you have a knife. I'd never fired a gun in my life, I hated the things. Tom had a shotgun, I hope the police didn't know. Duh! Of course they knew, they gave him the permit.

I had fired a bow, a recurve and a compound. The latter could be useful, I had to ditch the cops to find somewhere to buy one. The internet maybe, or would they be tapping that too. If I used wi-fi they would.

On the way out I managed to get access to Tom's office and used his puter to order a bow and a dozen arrows. A compound bow with forty pound pull could put an arrow through chain mail. I was quite good with a bow once upon a time, as a Sagittarian, maybe it feels natural to use one. Or maybe that's just guff. Given a chance I'd have little compunction in shooting someone with a bow to protect myself or a loved one, including Spike.

As I drove home, still worried about Stella, I smiled at the thought that my package would be delivered tomorrow, that had cost quite a bit extra. What I could use for a more concealed weapon, I didn't know, but I took home a night vision intensifier. If they came at night, I might just see them.