Chapter I

Tyler kicked the body. Two blue eyes stared up at nothing. They could see no longer. Whatever it was that they saw last was gone. "Shit", muttered Tyler as he quickly searched the young man's body for any identification. Grabbing some papers, a wallet and roughly unfastening the watch still running on the lifeless wrist, he walked back to the car. His eyes darted about trying to detect any movement in the street. Nothing moved. Nothing would move at five on a Sunday morning on this run-down housing estate. Suburbia slept. The Sierras sat newly polished in the gravel drives of neat but dismal semi-detached houses.
"Was it Chris?" asked Sally as John Tyler kicked off his black leather boots and leaned back on the chair, hands clasped behind his head which shook to reply in the negative.
"Bloody wish it was, in a way," he said, "can't take much more of this."
"Oh, come on John. He wasn't perfect but he doesn't deserve to die," shouted Sally as Tyler walked into the kitchen and noisily grabbed a jar of coffee. The kettle boiled and he poured the water into two mugs. Stirring them and throwing the spoon into the sink, where it lay with the previous night's dishes, he went over to the sofa and sat down next to the girl. A good ten years younger than Tyler, Sally seemed to be catching up with him fast. She had passed forty a few weeks before and her face was drawn. How much could be attributed to staying up night after night waiting for her husband to return and how much was due to the pain she suffered six days earlier when thugs had beaten her and left her to crawl two miles home was anyone's guess.
"Look Sal," said Tyler, "they're going to get him sooner or later. He's not the sort of guy that can last long on the run - not when both sides are after him." He glanced over at the watch and papers he had brought back. "This one seems to be another set-up job. Looked a bit like Chris but too young. Only about twenty-five. I guess they just wanted to see what I do. And what do I do? Jump at their command. Yes sir. No sir. Three bags bloody full sir! Probably watching from one of the houses, making sure I do exactly as I'm told!"