Raising the heavy rifle, Mickey put the sole of his right boot on the foot switch. Took a long, slow breath in and pressed it down. Sending power to the powerful Nitesun floodlights positioned to either side behind him. Illuminating the warehouse interior as brightly as if a car’s headlights had been flicked to main beam. In the middle of the debris-strewn floor, the powerfully built enforcer was caught like a fly in incandescent amber.

Gun raised, he turned to look straight into the lights. Tried to shade his eyes with his other hand. Fired a round off blindly, chipping a lump from the wall ten feet to Mickey’s left. Mickey no more than a dark spot between the blazing twin orbs to his wrecked vision. Mickey made a fractional change to his point of aim and squeezed the rifle’s trigger. Hurling a heavy nylon net across the gap between them, the corners and edges weighted with lead balls. The snare wrapped itself full length around the disoriented Lewis. Who took half a step forward and then tottered to the ground like a falling tree.

Mickey dropped the net gun and sprinted forwards. Pulled a heavy lead-cored rubber cosh from his belt. Raised it and stooped over the trapped man. The moment of maximum danger, if Lewis still had the gun in his hand. He struck down at his victim’s head, hitting him once, twice, three times. Enough. He waited, cosh raised, but the other man was completely still. Either unconscious or feigning it.

Mickey threaded a heavy-duty zip tie through the net and trussed his victim’s ankles tightly. Then did the same with his wrists. Sat back and looked at his prisoner for a minute. Lewis still unconscious. He stood, disentangling the lifeless man from the net, then used more zip ties on his legs. Further restraining his arms by tying them tight to his trunk. Twenty zip ties in total. Overkill, but prudent. More tensile strength than even the strongest of men could overcome. Rendering his prisoner immobile, even if he woke before he was properly in position.

He picked up the big, black automatic pistol. Handy. Then walked over to the forklift truck waiting on the far wall. Drove it across to the fallen man through a carefully cleared path. Raised the forks until they were six feet up, positioned over his prisoner. Getting out, he looped a nylon sling over the forks. Draped one loop over the recumbent man’s shoulders and put his head through it. Pulled the other up his legs until it was under the top of his thighs. Ready to lift Lewis into his final resting place.

38

Eddie re-dialled. Getting the “this person’s phone is currently out of service” message again. Shook his head at Joe, who had walked in from supervising the disposal of Mark’s body to find his right-hand man looking worried.