Wasted Lives, a Detective Mike Bridger novel, Page 2

  Chapter One

  "It's nice up here don't you think...?" He left the question hanging, unsure of what his friends answer would be. It was just on dark; he was sitting idle on the wooden seat of the swing, slowly moving back and forth, letting his body weight do the work. Unity Park in Mornington sat high above Dunedin and had a panoramic view of the city and harbour; it was empty except for the two of them. The view from his vantage point down and across the harbour kept changing as he swung up and down.

  "It's nice up here don't you think..., what are you a faggot?" his friend replied mockingly. "Don't be letting him hear you say things like that, you'll get the bash for sure."

  The use of the word faggot made him squirm he hated that word. Not able to look at his friend, he stared at the darkening harbour, it almost seemed like he could touch it from where they were, sitting so high up on the hill. He could see it flowing out towards Macandrew Bay in the distance where it would turn and flow seamlessly through twenty kilometres of Otago Peninsular countryside, past Portobello, before colliding with the open sea at Aramoana. Ships had come and gone through this channel for over one hundred and fifty years, bringing settlers and supplies for an emerging city. He could imagine the hopes and dreams of the early settlers, starting out pure but diluting down over the years by disease, poverty and hardship. Men would find new ways to survive, the sickness creeping in, falling back into old habits. Predators taking what they wanted again, infecting each new generation.

  He knew his situation was not new, it was as old as the ages, but it did not make his life any easier to live.

  During the day the harbour took on many different forms and colours, a dirty windswept grey, a choppy green, or perfectly still graphite. In the evening it darkened to a black empty mass, interspersed with the occasional navigation light, guiding you into the darkness. Tonight it would be no different.

  He could just about make out the silhouette of a ship in the fading light, tied up against the fertiliser works in the distance, the lights on board the ship blending with those on the wharf giving it an almost magical feel. It was the same feeling he got when he went to the travelling carnivals he had visited as a child, a place of strange loud music and fun. His mind pictured the people who would be on board the ship, exotic people, people with stories, and people with freedom. He envied those people, able to go and do as they pleased.

  "It's just different from the hood, that's all I meant. These places around here are made of money, not like the shitholes we live in."

  "Look at you, getting all uppity. Thinking you are better than the rest of us. Fuck you Martin; your stepfather is as drunk as the rest of them."

  Martin looked at his friend; they had been neighbours for as long as he could remember. Tama's father was in jail. He had been in jail for so long that neither he nor Tama could remember what he looked like. He had never met his own father. He was only here tonight because of the phone call, he needed money to get the new life he craved and the man on the phone had told him that an opportunity would arise and to grab hold of it with both hands and see where it took him. That was why he was here with his friend this evening. There was no other reason.

  He had not particularly wanted to be friends in the beginning but that had not stopped Tama Wilson. He had sort of turned up one day and never left. He had gotten used to having him around now. Tama was the only person who called him Martin, everybody else called him Star.

  "When do you think he will be here?" He asked.

  "He said when it got dark" Tama replied. "But you know what he's like; he'll just turn up when he's ready."

  Tama passed Martin the can of strong cider and he took a mouthful of the warm slightly bitter liquid. They had already finished five cans each and were sharing the last one they had. The others were empty and discarded around their feet. Tama stood up and lit a cigarette, drawing in a lungful of smoke he shuffled from side to side as he held it in his lungs.

  Looking at his friend standing there in his ripped t-shirt, he almost looked happy, or it may have just been the cider. "As long as we get enough money tonight to buy better shit than this." He tossed the half-empty can as far down the steep bank as he could.

  "Fucks sake Martin, I was drinking that." Tama said, looking for a way down through the undergrowth, smoke escaping from his lungs.

  The monotonous thumping sound of a bass drum invaded the quiet, turning both their heads. They could hear it getting louder and closer, the sound of a badly tuned engine screaming against its gearing underpinning the music. Looking over towards the road, a silver coloured BMW swung into the access road to the park. The car accelerated and sped towards them on the badly potholed surface. The suspension was so low that the chassis scrapped on the ground creating sparks in the twilight as it bounced out of each small hole. The car slid to a stop about three feet in front of them and sat idling with its headlights obscuring any view of the driver. Smoke billowed from a crack in the driver’s side window; the acrid sweet smell of cannabis permeated the air.

  "Get in". It was more of an order than a request, the voice betraying a quiet menace.

  He did not trust Joseph at all; he used people for what they could give him. However, he was a big name in his world and whatever Joseph Kingi told you to do, you did without question. Looking at the car, Joseph was not visible through the dark tints but his menace was everywhere. Taking a deep breath Martin opened the rear door and slumped into the torn leather seat. The smell of cannabis was overwhelming; smoke stung his eyes making him blink. Tama had taken the front passenger seat, eager to please.

  "Still drinking that cheap shit I see boys", Joseph said, indicating the mess of cans around the swings. "Do your jobs right tonight and you could afford the good stuff..., now don't tell me I don't look after my boys". Joseph smiled a wicked smile through the smoke and shook his dreadlocked hair as he laughed at something only known to him.

  "What's the job then J man?” Tama asked.

  "Where gonna do that corner shop up the north end, there's only that little chink girl behind the counter so it should be a doddle. Plus it's chock full of K2". Joseph was grinning as he spoke. "It's a fucking crime the amount of money they make off of that synthetic cannabis, its only right that we help ourselves to some of that".

  "Nice one J man, we're up for that, aren't we Star". Tama sat nodding his head in the front seat, excited at the prospect of easy money.

  Martin worried about Tama, he was always too eager to please, to easily led, it was going to be his downfall one day. He saw Joseph observing him coolly through the rear view mirror, his eyes not giving anything away.

  "Is that right Star, are you up for it?”

  "Yeah J man..., yeah I'm up for it, let’s do it", He replied, not at all certain he meant it.

  "To fucking right, I'm putting my faith in you two meatheads, I don't expect any shit from you now". His look was as cold as ice as he said it and Martin shivered involuntarily.

  Joseph was six years older than he was, so they had rarely had anything to do with each other growing up, even though they had lived in the same small neighbourhood all their lives. Joseph had always been a player, even from a young age. His father who was a big shot in ‘The Gang’ had handed him his status in the neighbourhood. Nobody messed with the gang, so nobody messed with Joseph. Joseph had grown up believing he was untouchable. No one even blinked when Joseph stepped into his father’s shoes after jail finally caught up with him.

  Joseph senior or ‘Big J’ was widely known to be still pulling the strings from the inside and his influence was far reaching, but it was still Joseph junior who was on the outside. Joseph senior had the respect, but Joseph junior only commanded fear. His influence was that of intimidation and fear, something he seemed to revel in. He wondered what he would be like if Big J was still around to keep him in line.

  Not much he could do about that now, he needed some money and Joseph was offering, although he had the impression he could not say no.

/>   "How is it going to play out?" He queried from the back.

  "Same as it always does, we go in, make the little bitch cry for her mummy, get the gear and get out". Joseph took another long pull on his cannabis cigarette, "But first we need to get us some wheels", he said, while holding the smoke in his lungs.

  He saw Tama's eyes light up, if there was one thing Tama loved to do it was steal cars.

  They had been driving around for a few hours now and he was beginning to get bored. Martin had been listening to the conversation in the front seat that seemed to consist of Joseph belittling Tama at every opportunity, although Tama had failed to notice or was just ignoring it. Joseph had passed around a Cannabis joint a few times and he had begun to feel the mellow lethargic feeling he always got when smoking weed. He had refused the lines of Speed offered, but Tama had inhaled them as if his life depended on it. As a result, Tama was practically bouncing off the roof of the car. The music had been pounding the whole time.

  "What about that one J man? It’s an easy score". Tama was pointing at a ten-year-old Subaru parked in the darkness of the street.

  "What is it with you and Subaru’s T? That’s all I've ever seen you steal". Joseph's mood had improved as the night wore on.

  "Stick with what you know J man, that's my motto".

  "I don't see you bumming little boys T, so you can't live by that motto".

  Martin burned inwardly at the comment, he wanted to reach over the seat and stick a knife in the back of Joseph’s neck, twist it sharply and snap his spine. Thoughts like this were nothing new to him; he took a breath and stared out into the passing darkness letting the feeling wash through him.

  Tama just shrugged his shoulders and carried on as if he had not heard a word. "Come on J man, there is no one about, let’s just get it done".

  Joseph pulled his car over in the shadows further up the street, "Ok big man, go and get it, but take Star with you. We will meet back at the park in ten minutes".

  Martin climbed out of the stuffy smoked filled car, happy to be in the fresh air again. Tama followed him unsteadily. Joseph looked Martin in the eye and held his gaze for a short time. Martin stared back but said nothing. Joseph broke off the eye contact and drove away, the sound of the music died down to nothing as the car accelerated up the street. They both turned and walked back towards the Subaru parked conveniently in the shadows.

  "What's up with you Martin, you've hardly said anything all night" Tama punched him good-naturedly on the arm.

  "I don't like him Tama, you know that. He treats people like shit".

  "Yeah well what are you going to do about it Martin, you're just as scared of him as everyone else, besides he's a means to an end, we need money, he's got a plan".

  "A long as that plan doesn't turn to shit, you know he'll leave us in it don't you."

  "We'll just have to make sure it doesn't then", Tama had reached the car. Looking around to check they were alone he reached down and expertly sprung the lock on the car door using the slightly modified slide hammer he always had with him. It was something Martin knew he would not be without it when he would be 'Shopping' for cars. Opening the door, Tama lay down into the foot well, popping the cover off below the dashboard. He had the car started a few seconds later. Martin had only just managed to get to the passenger side and climb in before Tama had accelerated away from the curb.

  Stoned or not Tama was good at what he did.

  One thing Tama did not do well though, was drive sensibly, he had to remind him a few times that they were in a stolen car and he did not need to draw attention to that fact.

  "Take it easy tonight Tama, don't try and show off, it's not worth it. Joseph won't thank you".

  "Fuck you Martin, I can handle myself".

  Martin knew it was the Cannabis speedball mix talking, giving Tama a false sense of bravado. He liked Tama but he knew he was not very bright, and he tended to do silly things when he was out of it.

  He did not say anything for the rest of the journey back to Unity Park at the top of Eglington Road. An uneasy feeling about tonight had settled in his stomach, but did not want to share it with Tama. He knew his friend would pass it on to Joseph and he could not be bothered with the drama.

  Tama steered the stolen car into the park access road and towards the lookout. He could see Joseph had parked his own vehicle in the shadows near the trees, out of the streetlights. Tama parked next to Joseph's now silent car.

  "You two bitches took your time," Joseph said as he climbed into the rear seat. "I was beginning to think you had shit your pants and gone home".

  Martin could not help but notice the shotgun Joseph threw on the seat beside him. It was an evil looking thing with a shortened barrel, two black holes for eyes sitting side by side, eyes that would kill you as soon as blink.

  Joseph was absently stroking the polished but mottled wooden stock, fingers flicking in and out of the trigger guard. He was looking directly at Martin, his eyes hidden in the darkness of the car, making it hard for him to work out his expression.

  "You ready to do some work", he said.

  "Let’s do it", Tama chimed in from the driver's seat. He planted his foot on the accelerator and then dropped the clutch sending the car into a sideways spin, tyres squealing on the rough surface, an acrid smell of burnt rubber entering the car’s interior. Joseph sat silently in the rear as Tama sped out onto the road and started downhill past the darkness of the cemetery.

  They were sitting in the stolen car a little way down the road from the store, the street lights were intermittent if working at all, giving them some cover in the darkness. Joseph had lit up another Joint and was passing it around. The lights were on in the store and the signs were still out. Martin could tell Joseph and Tama were amped up about the prospect of the impending violence, they were fidgety and on edge.

  The waiting was making him sick, he hated the thought of the chaos and horror they were about to bring to the unsuspecting girl inside. The sight of Joseph wielding a sawn off shotgun in your face was bound to be terrifying for anyone. He just hoped that they would be able to keep a level head and get the job done. The sooner this was over the better.

  "Are you ready to fuck some shit up", Joseph said, throwing each of them a black synthetic ski mask.

  "Fuck yeah, let’s do this" Tama enthused.

  Joseph flicked the remains of the joint out of the car window, the embers flaring then dying out on the road. Picking up the shotgun with one hand, he pulled his mask over his face with the other and got out of the car. Tama followed like a puppy dog, eager to please his master. Martin fell into step behind them as they approached the welcoming lights of the store.

  They went through the door one by one and then things got noisy.

  "Get your fucking hands in the air you slope bitch," Joseph yelled. "Fucking do it, or I'll send you back to your maker". He was waving the shotgun in her face menacingly. The girl was staring back at them, straight into the barrel, not moving. Joseph turned the stock of the gun towards her and slammed it into her face. "I said get your lazy gook arms in the air bitch". The force of the blow knocked her against the wall behind her and she stayed leaning against it, blood slowly leaking from one nostril.

  Martin could tell it was pure terror making it impossible for her to move or say anything. He tried to make her put her arms up by motioning to her but she was beyond help. The colour had gone from her face and there were tears streaking down her pinking cheeks. Her mouth was open but there was no sound. He looked over at Tama who was filling his bag with synthetic cannabis and chocolate bars from behind the counter. He could see a glaze had descended over Tama’s eyes, which reflected the fluorescent lights above them. Tama was moving on autopilot, the moment had taken him, an excitement found only in extreme behaviour. He looked back at Joseph who seemed to be having a moment of indecision; he knew Joseph was not used to having his orders go unheeded. He found himself looking at his watch; they had been in the shop for less than
two minutes. They needed to get out very soon.

  Then Joseph changed tact.

  "You are actually quite sexy aren't you", he said, leering at his helpless victim. "I've never had an Asian girl before...; I've heard you are all quite tight". He stroked the barrel of the gun against her cheek smearing the blood from her nose, and then ran it down over her small breasts until he reached her crotch, then he rammed it between her legs making her cry out.

  "I think I might have bit of fun before we go", he said viciously. "Tama hold this will you". Joseph pulled the shotgun from between her legs and handed it to Tama. "If you’re good I'll let you have a go next". A horrible laugh erupted from his mouth. The girl’s eyes did not comprehend her situation.

  Martin could not believe what he was hearing. This was not what he had in mind. She did not deserve this. She was only doing her job; it was one thing to rob a shitty corner store, but to rape a girl, that was something that made him sick to the core. Joseph had unbuckled his jeans and was pulling them down; he could see his ugly manhood swinging between his legs as he manoeuvred himself closer to her. The girl cowered away from him, trying to melt back into the wall behind her. She still had not uttered a word, pure terror showing in her eyes.

  "Get your hands on some of this, you little slut, it will be the biggest you've ever had", Joseph said, as he grabbed his flaccid penis and thrust it towards her.

  Martin knew he should do something but his mind deviated between stopping Joseph and risking his anger or running as far away from here as he could. He looked over at Tama holding the shotgun, looking for some sort of direction, but the look on Tama's face told him that he would not do anything; he was totally lost in Joseph's sick power play. He looked back at Joseph in time to see the flash of a wooden bat glance off the back of his head. Joseph lurched forward, pinning the girl against the wall.

  "You get out, you get out, I call the police!” The short Asian man yelled in broken English. He raised his bat again and made to strike at Joseph. Martin looked at the open door behind the counter; it must lead to the house in the rear. He must have been in there listening to what was going on.

  The man was dressed in flannel pyjamas and looked comical waving his bat in the air. Joseph had regained some composure and had turned around to face the man. The girl, thankfully, had taken her opportunity to escape and had disappeared back through the open door.

  "Fuck you", Joseph snarled, as he lunged towards the little man forgetting he still had his trousers around his knees. His legs tangled in the trousers and he fell forward, his head connecting squarely with the side of the bat as it swung violently towards him.

  The sickening crunch of bone on wood was overshadowed the immense cracking sound of pellets flying at high velocity from a small plastic shell cartridge containing gunpowder.

  "Fucking get some you little bastard", Tama yelled, totally caught up in the moment. Smoke was curling lazily out of one of the barrels as he held the gun at waist level. The little Asian man dropped to his knees, a look of surprised shock on his face. His mouth fell open and he toppled face first onto the ground. Martin could see a ragged hole in the small of his back, frothy bubbles of air mixing with the spreading blood as the little man fought for breath.

  He could hear sirens in the distance over the ringing in his ears. Martin watched helplessly as Tama took a step forward and raised the gun, pointing it towards the stricken man.

  "I'll finish you right now you piece of shit". His voice had lost a bit of its venom; a trace of uncertainty had seeped in on seeing what he had done.

  "Finish the little fucker", Joseph said groggily from the floor. He was on all fours, blood dripping off the back of his skull; his dreadlocks had matted themselves together with the thick red substance.

  "Don't do it Tama, let’s just get out of here. I can hear the cops coming". Martin knew Tama was beyond reason though. He watched as Tama raised his vacant eyes towards him, then move them slowly over to Joseph, and finally back at the wretched man on the floor. The next thing he heard was the sickening click of the firing pin releasing on an empty chamber.

  "Shit..., you’re fucking lucky its empty dick head," Tama said, as he looked at the now useless firearm in his hands.

  Joseph had managed to get back to his feet, he spat a globule of saliva mixed with his own blood onto the man on the floor, then turned and made for the door without saying anything.

  Tama turned and followed him, holding the firearm over his shoulder like a miner with a pickaxe.

  Suddenly he found himself abandoned in the store. Although he hated what had just happened he now felt very vulnerable without Tama and Joseph. Surveying the scene, he saw the girl had returned to the shop and knelt before the man. The man was looking up at him, his eyes boring into his head pleading for help. He could not move. His feet felt like lead moulded to the floor. What in the hell had just happened? Why did this man have to get involved? Why did the girl not just do as Joseph had told her? The effects of the alcohol and cannabis had completely worn off.

  "This is your fault, why didn't you just leave it, we would have been in and out..., fuck you, you've screwed this whole thing up", he said aloud. Tears were prickling at his eyes. The man on the ground did not respond, his breathing was becoming shallow and he lowered his head to the ground.  The girl was just staring at him, accusations in her eyes.  Turning to leave, the sound of sirens was getting louder in his ears.

  Martin saw the cash drawer was open on the counter, it was full of money, money he needed. Money he deserved for what had just happened. He was not going to leave empty-handed. Grabbing everything he could and stuffing it inside his jeans pocket, he left the shop and stepped back out into the calm darkness of the night.

  This was not what he had expected to happen, it was supposed to be easy, it was slipping from his hands…