Winkle D-cups (aka Bike) Part 625 by Angharad

I could only see over the courtyard, which would prove a killing field if anyone entered through the gates and drawbridge. I could see members of our team taking up positions and I could also see bright halogen lamps ready to shine down on any one who entered, blinding them and making them easy targets.

In the trees which surrounded the castle, there were regular and staccato pops of small arms fire, as if a fire-fight was going on between two groups. Did Henry have other men outside the castle?

I listened to the fighting outside and then heard another sound, a swooshing sound, I glanced upwards and saw someone coming towards us on a parachute, and they were armed to the teeth. They circled and fired at one of our men, unseen from above. I fired both barrels of the shotgun, which knocked me backwards off my feet but blew a large hole in the parachute. The parachutist fell probably fifty or more feet to the courtyard with a splat sound after a prolonged scream.

The gun had recoiled back into my tummy, I was winded and feeling sick. Another parachutist swooped in firing all around, I loaded the gun with feverish fingers which didn’t seem to want to work. My heart was beating faster than if I was cycling up a steep hill.

Some bullets zinged around me, so I stepped back under the cover of the edge of the roof, I aimed the gun, this time on my shoulder and leant into the stock. It jumped and jolted my shoulder, but I once again managed to hit the chute and gravity did the rest.

Henry came struggling out on to my veranda. “Cathy, it’s you, I thought it was Tom.”

I was rubbing my shoulder, “No it’s me and I’m not doing this right, the blessed gun is hitting me on the recoil. Look there’s another of their parachutists,” I pointed into the sky.

Henry snatched the gun rammed in two cartridges and fired first one then the other barrel. The recipient squealed then jerked, then hung lifeless in the harness and drifted out into the trees.

“Who’s out in the woods?”

“The bad guys,” he said smirking.

“And?”

“A contingent of Royal Marine Commandos, from Faslane.”

“I thought that was a submarine base.”

“And who d’you think protects them when they’re at home?”

“Royal Marines?”

“Exactly, as they were massing for an exercise in Norway, I borrowed some–the commander’s an old friend of mine. Once I put it to the police they might be able to help us get their ACC back, they withdrew their objections.”

“So we have commandoes fighting mafia in the woodland?”

“It would seem that way.”

“There’s another, I pointed into the sky and Henry reloaded and fired twice. The effect was similar to before.”

“How come I can’t do that?”

“You fired both barrels together, gives a tremendous kick and if you don’t know what you’re doing you can hurt yourself.”

“I did, my collar bone’s hurting again.”

“Lend me your goggle things and go in with your children.”

“Where’s Simon?”

“He’ll be here in a couple of days.”

“Where is he?”

“Where do you think?”

“I don’t know, which is why I’m asking you.”

“Think.”

“I can’t.”

“Come on, Cathy, don’t disappoint me.”

“I don’t bloody know, he could be in bloody Russia for all I know.”

“See, what was so hard about that.”

“What? He’s in Russia?”

“Cutting off the money supply. Terrorists and organised crime march on their bank cards. Cut it off. QED.”

I gave Henry the image intensifier and he kept a watch on the sky as I limped back to the bedroom and knocked on the door of the hidey hole.

I thought I heard a noise on the roof, but decided it was probably bullets from the various battles that were going on about the place. Trish asked who it was, and unlocked the door as soon as I spoke.

I hugged them both, and despite my sore shoulder it felt good to be out of the action, snuggled up safe and sound. Once again I thought I could hear something scrabbling above us, but Henry was outside with a big gun and we were locked away safely anyway. I did wonder about Tom, but he seemed so fast asleep, I hoped he’d stay that way until it was all over.

I cuddled down with the girls and they fell asleep each with my arm around them. The large knife I had tucked into my jeans dug into my back, but considering the other aches and pains I had, it was tolerable.

The noise seemed to die down and I think I fell asleep, jumping when I heard Henry knocking on the door of our hiding place. The girls didn’t hear him, so I eased away from them and opened the door.

I stepped out into the bedroom and realised the mistake I’d made. Henry was standing with his hands up and a woman was behind him holding a gun to his head–a handgun.

“Sorry, about this, Cathy, but I was in a bit of a tight spot.” I nodded my understanding.

The woman was wearing a dark jumpsuit and a parachute harness. Of course, the noises on the roof–now I realised what they were.

“This is Olga Kretchyna, it’s her friends and family with whom we’re in dispute.”

“You caused all of this mayhem?” I gasped.

She smiled revealing a broad set of white teeth and all I wanted to do was punch them.

“You should be ashamed of yourself.”

“Shut it, byitch,” she drew back the hammer on the gun. “I’m gonna kill you both, then I’m gonna hunt down the rest of your miserable family and kill them all.”

“A woman of limited ambitions,” I said feeling a coldness building up in me.

“Shut it, byitch, or I’ll kill your children in front of you.”

I saw movement behind her and held my breath, I had to distract her.

“So this is what you think is emancipation, do you? Out killing the men?” The comment was hardly out of my mouth when she slapped me in the face.

“I think ye’d better pit doon the gun, ye scunner.” Tom stood behind her holding an umbrella in the back of her neck, presumably pretending it was a gun.

She turned knocking his ‘weapon’ away and I threw myself on top of her. There was shot as we hit the ground and I felt a pain in my shoulder. God it hurt then everything went black.