Inside Man | ONC2023

11. The Best Laid Plans...

(Author's Note: this chapter is dedicated to AnnKreeves and her paranormal thriller for the ONC2023, Break!)

Kam took a sip from his third beaker of kafi, which was now unpleasantly cold, and continued fuming. He would have preferred a decent drink but they didn't serve alcohol in this cafe, and the location was of paramount importance. His window seat gave him a clear view of the Patrol Station across the road. He'd been watching people go in and out all morning.

Rik Maddon had disappeared into its depths an hour ago. Was it too much to hope that he would be detained? Probably. The best he could hope for, was that he'd have a very uncomfortable few hours. Not what he had intended at all. All those hours of work, meticulous planning and careful manipulation, blown out into space by one bad break.

Everything had been going so well, Mikel primed, the stage set, and then... the apartment owner had come home, at exactly the wrong time. Mikel had assured him Finn was out of town on a job, that he wouldn't be back for several days, but he'd been wrong.

Kam ground his teeth. Mikel could count himself lucky he wasn't around to explain his error in person. Kam didn't like to admit he'd made a mistake but perhaps he'd put too much reliance on Mikel's role in his game plan. He'd been a weaker link than he'd thought. And then he'd gone and died on the job, which hadn't been part of the plan. Though to be honest, Kam wouldn't have shed a tear if Maddon had been the one to succumb to the drugs.

He cast his mind back to yesterday lunch time, when he'd met up with Mikel to go over the last few details.

Mikel had turned up for the meeting wearing one of his plainer outfits, dark trousers and a grey shirt, which had pleased Kam at the time. Plain was good, nothing too fancy to make people stop and stare. He'd seated himself next to Kam on the park bench and Kam had placed the bag of money on the ground between them.

"There's your payment, cash as agreed."

Mikel had opened the bag and peered inside, before fastening it and pushing it under the bench with his foot.

Kam passed him a small packet. "It's imperative you keep Maddon with you all night," he'd stressed. "Slip this into his drink and you won't have any problems. It's just a sedative, simple but effective."

"Is it safe?"

"Of course! It's the same sort they give to my grams in the old folks' home," lied Kam cheerfully. He'd never known either of his grandmothers and had no idea whether they were even dead or alive let alone in a home, but Mikel seemed reassured.

Kam winked and passed him a second packet. "And here's something extra for you. It's the latest thing for active men, guaranteed to keep you pumping for an hour at least. Called handsum-up, maybe you've heard of it?"

Mikel had nodded and grinned. Then he'd tucked the blue pills into his pocket. He'd tried one only a few days ago with excellent results.

"There's one for each of you, but remember to give Maddon the sedative before you turn in for the night. I don't want him getting up and leaving before mid-morning at the earliest."

"Sure thing," agreed Mikel, too easily for Kam's liking.

"I mean it, Mikel. I've got an important deal going down and if he turns up at work tomorrow it'll ruin the whole thing."

Kam made as if to reach for the bag of money, a serious look on his face.

"If you don't think you can do the job, let me know now and I'll try something different."

"No, no. I can do it!" Mikel had hastened to reassure him, kicking the bag further back under the bench. "You can count on me."

Kam had watched Mikel walk away, clutching the bag of money, and permitted himself a small smile of satisfaction. His plan was on track. Everything was set.

Both the so-called sedative and the blue pills had been carefully doctored, to knock both men out for several hours. The bag of money, laced with Maddon's DNA and drug dust, ready to land him in a world of trouble when he, Kam, dobbed him in to the Patrol in the early hours of the morning.

He'd made the call to the Patrol, then watched gleefully from across the road as they burst into the apartment. But then everything had gone awry. Firstly, Mikel had died, which though unintended, hadn't been entirely a bad thing. It was bound to put Maddon in even deeper shit and also ensure Mikel's silence, he could never tell anyone his side of the story now.

And then he'd heard that Maddon hadn't even been there in the apartment; the second man had been Finn, the apartment owner. Mikel had been too afraid, or too greedy, to call and tell Kam the plan was off.

Eventually Kam gave up on his vigil. It seemed Maddon was going to be inside the Station for some time. He drove around in his hovercar, mulling things over and trying to get his head in gear. This plan had failed, he needed to suck it up and make a new one. Perhaps this time he would simply take matters into his own hands, no more faffing around with go-betweens.

He was back outside the apartment, sitting and thinking inside his hovercar when he saw a man walk along the street and enter the apartment block. Kam couldn't believe his luck but he thought it was Rik Maddon, there, in person, all by himself.

He had no idea what he was doing there but the opportunity was simply too good to pass up. He waited a few moments in case his quarry came straight back out, but it appeared Finn had let him in. Kam gathered a few important items from the back of the hovercar, locked it, and made his way cautiously into the apartment block.

~~~~

Paul frowned when he heard another chime from his entrance panel. Who was it this time? This place was busier than the main street of Syden. He didn't recognize the face but the man was wearing grey overalls and carrying a bag.

"Maintenance."

"At this time of night?" muttered Paul. He opened the door. "What's wrong? Can't it wait until morning?"

The last thing he saw was the mask coming up to cover the stranger's face.