Free Green Light (Sam Archer 7) by Tom Barber Page B

could, then held it to
the cut across the left side of his chest.
    As it
made contact, he cursed under his breath; the shiv had cut about a
third of an inch deep, the skin sliced open, blood still running
from the wound down his chest. Glancing down, he saw the cut on his
arm was bleeding too, the blood dripping to the floor. Now out of
danger, the pain from the two injuries suddenly kicked in, in
addition to the throbbing ache of his forearm from where he’d
blocked that first knife thrust.
    He sat down on the bed while he got his breath back. Jesus Christ, you sure know how to get yourself
in deep shit, he thought, shaking his
head. If it was an art-form, you’d be
goddamn Pablo Picasso.
    Then he
heard the sound of a key turning in the lock.
    Throwing
the pillowcase to one side as the door started to open, Archer rose
instantly, ready to defend himself in case this was Round 2.
However, as the door pulled back he saw two guards standing there,
one holding a box containing Archer’s actual clothes, the other the
man from the shower block.
    ‘ Change,’ the latter said. ‘You’ve been released. Someone’s
pulled you.’
    ‘ Who?’
    ‘ Just get changed,’ he ordered, the other guard placing the box
down and pushing it towards Archer. ‘And don’t bleed on my
floor.’
    The box
slid over until it hit Archer’s foot; the guards stood there,
waiting. Opening the box and quickly pulling his blue jeans, black
sweater and shoes back on, Archer replaced them with his overalls
then walked over to the men who turned and led him out of the cell.
It took some time to get to the exit as they had to negotiate
several locked doors and long corridors, but eventually they
reached the last door, the three of them waiting for it to be
buzzed open.
    Walking
through that final exit, Archer expected to see Josh, Shepherd or
Marquez but was caught completely off-guard when he saw who was
standing there waiting for him.
    It was
Sergeant Jake Hendricks.
    *
    At six
foot two, over two hundred pounds, dark-featured and tough as two
dollar steak, Jake Hendricks was the hardest cop Sam Archer had
ever met. The man was a walking sledgehammer, his uncompromising
approach legendary in the Department. He was also Matt Shepherd’s
closest friend and ran his own five-person team in the
Counter-Terrorism Bureau, the two squads often working side by
side. Although Archer knew him relatively well, he wasn’t anywhere
near the top of the list of people he’d expected to see just
then.
    He knew
Hendricks was intelligent but it was his fearless approach to
police work that had built his reputation. There were many stories
about him that had done the rounds, some no doubt having grown with
the telling, but one Archer knew for a fact to be true was also one
of his favourites. A few years back a gang from Cypress Hills had
plotted to kill Hendricks after he’d come down on them hard shortly
after being transferred there; he’d made their lives a misery and
they’d decided it was time for some payback. Two of the gang
members had found out where he lived and waited one night to waylay
him, but when Hendricks had arrived home things hadn’t exactly gone
as they’d planned. The incident had taken place a couple of years
ago but apparently the two gang members had only recently started
eating solid food again. Hendricks wasn’t a man to cross and
definitely someone you didn’t want as an enemy.
    Dressed
in jeans, a dark sweater, boots and a leather jacket concealing his
badge and weapon, Hendricks nodded at Archer as he appeared then
turned and led the way out of the building without saying a word.
Surprised, Archer followed the dark-haired Sergeant outside and
over to a Counter-Terrorism Bureau Ford; Hendricks climbed in
behind the wheel as Archer got into the passenger seat beside him.
Hendricks fired the engine and they took off out of the compound,
being buzzed out through the exit and heading towards the only
bridge off the island which led into