Payback

By Thomas Anderson

Dave Morgan has just been released from prison after serving 12 months for a crime that never happened. How does he now prove his innocence? He doesn’t.
Having lost his family because of the crime, Dave decides to seek out and pay back all the people who put him in prison. If they took his life from him, he would now return the favour.
Obsessed with order, plans and time, he has a number of victims in mind. The question is will it be 5, 6 or 7?
As the police try to identify the killer, the bodies mount up.
Unknowingly, D.I. Vince Miller and his team are looking for a man Miller has met once before.
Will they catch him before Miller himself becomes the target?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Thomas Anderson
• Release date: Mar 24, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301915590

Thomas Anderson

Thomas Anderson is a specialist on German armoured fighting vehicles of World War II. He regularly contributes to popular modelling and historical magazines, including Military Modelcraft International (UK), Steel Art (Italy), Historia Militar (Spain) and Batailles & Blindes (France). He lives in Germany.

Book preview

Payback

By Thomas Anderson

Copyright 2013 Thomas Anderson

Smashwords Edition

This book is dedicated to the following beautiful, precious and truly wonderful people below:

My Daughter, Hannah, Sister, Bev and friend, Angie

Thank you so much for all your support.

My Beautiful Ex-wife, Natalie, youngest daughter, Bethan and Eldest son, Geraint,

We may never be together again but not a day will go by where I will not love you and miss you all so much.

To my handsome youngest Son Ieuan, My love and pride in you knows no bounds.

I will love all of you forever.

I would like to stress that this book is a work of fiction. None of the characters portrayed within are representative of any persons living or dead.

The Beginning

A new life

June 2005 - Wales

David Morgan stirred and started to shake the mist from his mind. He smiled as he heard his wife in the shower and remembered, today was the day.

Getting up quickly, he quietly tip-toed around the sleeping children. In the kitchen the kettle had boiled. Thank you Susan he thought as he smiled. Coffee made, he quietly slipped out the back garden for a cigarette.

Cup in one hand and smoke in the other, David took one last look at the garden and forest beyond.

Today Wales, Tomorrow Australia he thought, then corrected himself, it was a 32 hour Journey more or less So ok, two days’ time Oz he laughed quietly to himself.

He heard the shower being shut off, the shower door opening and closing. Putting out his smoke, he went in, left his empty coffee cup in the kitchen and headed upstairs for what would be his last shower in this house.

Susan was already half dressed and trying desperately to dry her hair with just the towel, her hair dryer having already been packed away in a suitcase.

What time were you up Dave asked? About 30 minutes ago she replied, long enough to recheck our passports and money and shower.

When are you waking the kids he ventured? stepping into the shower and turning the water on.

Before she had finished replying to the question, he was lost in the noise of the shower water and the thought of the adventure ahead.

Boarding the plane at Heathrow, the children were settled and David and Susan sat down themselves, one each side of the aisle and the children shared between them on adjacent seats.

Here we go he smiled, are you ready for this? I am she said what about you? Terrified Dave laughed but too late now. With all the passengers aboard the aircraft slowly taxied down the runway.

Sydney, Australia

Arriving at the hotel, they signed in, got their keys and went to their rooms. The kids went straight to the beds, lay down and were out of it within minutes. Susan showered, Dave had another smoke, his 6th since getting out of the airport, finished it and was asleep himself before Susan finished her shower.

A few days in Sydney and a seven hour drive in a rental car to Northern NSW, saw them arrive at the town they were to rent a house in. See the real estate, collected keys and their new life had started. Over the coming weeks, a car and furniture were bought, both David and Susan officially signed up for their courses and normality returned.

May 2008 - Brisbane

For the Morgan family, a new page was turning. With residency obtained and citizenship on the agenda, if a few years off, David, now free to get a job anywhere, had successfully got a job with the state Government. Some running around after being informed of his success and a new rental on the outskirts of Brisbane was secured. Life again settled down and twelve months further down the line, the Morgan’s were once again proud owners of their own (mortgaged) home.

Life continued uneventfully but happily for the next four years. The only real blot being David and Susan’s youngest daughter Lindsey. With their eldest, Rebecca, electing to stay in Wales, being an adult and already studying her degree there. Living in Oz in the early years and working whatever casual jobs they could meant that there had been a lot of, admittedly unfair, even in David’s opinion, pressure on Lindsey to help out with her two younger brothers. At eleven she had been tasked initially with getting the boys and herself to school (just around the corner from the house) on days that David and Susan were both working at the same time. As she got older this extended to making food and playing surrogate mother even when she didn’t need to.

By the time the Morgan’s had purchased their house, Lindsey was not only very self-confident, but also very abrasive and argumentative. This having got worse as the years had gone by, both Susan and David believed there was a serious mental issue with Lindsey but unfortunately neither would admit to it. This was to be a major downfall.

Even with their lives looking up, Lindsey’s temper and animosity led to very serious arguments and crying amongst them all. Lindsey threatened to leave (at fifteen), David threatened to make her (though never actually meaning it) and Susan ended up not speaking to Dave because of it. The fact that the original argument had been caused by Lindsey arguing with Susan and Dave feeling the need to help his wife, got lost in the recriminations.

Lindsey’s favourite words during these times regardless of who she argued with were I hate you and I want you gone out of this house.

This was put down to teenage angst. How wrong they were.

February 2011- Brisbane

With the kids in school, David and Susan got ready. Susan had been diagnosed with pre-cancerous cells after a smear test and though the local op was routine, both were extremely worried about the future and Susan’s health. Although at the time they weren’t to know that Susan would be ok after the op, the problem never coming back, David was terrified at the thought of losing his beloved wife.

With Lindsey now pregnant for the second time at 17 (an abortion 6 months earlier being the end of the first) having to cope with Susan possibly being seriously ill put a strain on both of them, but putting on smiles, they both hid their fears.

Coming home after the operation, Susan was sore for a few days but life quietly went back to normal. David’s fears regarding Susan were kept to himself.

April 2011 - Brisbane

Arriving at the hospital at 11pm, David, Susan and Lindsey were all hoping tonight would be the night. At five minutes to midnight, David’s Grandchild, Belle, arrived into the world.

Not being actually in the room at the birth (that privilege belong to Lindsey, Susan, the little bastard who knocked Lindsey up and his mother), nor wishing to be in there to see his daughter in such a position, when David eventually held his new grandchild, all anger faded to be replaced by love for this beautiful tiny new life that was now part of his.

18 hours later

Arriving back at home after their first visit to the hospital since Belle’s birth, they had just sat down for food when Susan’s phone rang.

Listening and nodding her head, conversation over, she hung up and said, Lindsey wants me to stay with her tonight, I said I would

Yeh that’s fine David replied, I take it you’re going straight?

May as well said Susan, look after the boys and I’ll pick you up tomorrow morning to go back to see Lindsey and Belle. Ok later Gorgeous David replied, I love you so much.

Susan smiled, grabbed her keys and left.

An hour later, David’s phone rang. Just an update Dave thought before he answered and sure enough, it was Susan.

Dave I’m going to pick you up about 6am tomorrow ok? said Susan. This was strange but Dave said Ok, but is everything alright? Yes Dave just Lindsey’s is a bit tired and so am I, I’ll see you in the morning ok Ok Dave replied and hung up, not feeling too sure.

The following day

Susan picked David up at 6:00 am as promised and started driving back to the hospital. It was obvious from her face, something was wrong but David waited until Susan drove onto the main highway before he asked Ok what’s wrong? It’s obvious by your face. Susan was so close to tears as she explained.

Last night, as Lindsey had lost some blood, they gave her a transfusion. They gave her the wrong blood and everything went wrong Susan explained haltingly. She was rushed to ICU and she’s there now. She’s been sedated and she’s hooked up to all sorts of machines. It doesn’t look good but there was no point telling you last night and worrying you. You had to stay with the boys.

David’s blood ran cold as he tried to let everything sink in. he asked questions but nothing really registered. All he could imagine was his beautiful little girl lying in a hospital bed gravely ill.

Arriving at the hospital and ICU, David’s imagination had not been wrong. Taking one look at Lindsey lying there comatose and looking so fragile, he broke down.

For nearly two weeks, Susan and David travelled back and fore to the hospital. As the days went by and Lindsey got no worse, their fears lessened slightly, but with no significant sign of improvement, they did not allow too much hope to build.

At the end of the 11th day, one of Lindsey’s main specialists, Professor Roberts, came to see them. With a sincere smile he asked Can we talk in the common room? I have some news for you. Dave and Susan didn’t even look at each other in case it jinxed the little glimmer of hope that immediately filled each of their minds, but both nodded and got up, following Professor Roberts to the common room.

With everyone seated he began As you know, over the last 10 days, Lindsey has got over the worst and has not only stabilised but has begun showing very good signs of improvement. Both Dave and Susan said nothing, just nodding. Professor Roberts continued without going through everything, I’m taking Lindsey off all the machines you see her hooked up to, with the exception of the one helping her to breathe and this I stress to you is just a precaution. If there are no issues after a further 24 hours, she’ll be taken off that too and brought out of sedation, how does that sound to you both? he said smiling.

Being there to watch Lindsey come out of sedation was both difficult and beautiful. Very slowly, she started to come round and to focus, though her mind was still elsewhere and would remain so until the sedation wore of a bit more.

Over the coming week, Dave and Susan would see Lindsey return to full health at (for them), an astonishing rate. On the tenth day after Lindsey’s re-awakening, she came home.

May 7th 2011 - Brisbane

With Lindsey pretty much back to normal, though still getting tired on occasions, Dave suggested a day out. Nothing major just a day at one of the malls. Without much enthusiasm, Susan and Lindsey agreed, Daniel (their youngest son) having no say and Anthony, No 3 child, already out for the day with friends.

The day was good, the evening quiet. David and Susan waited until the children were asleep before going to bed themselves. Sex was clinical but David was happy to actually start and finish (over these last few months, with all the worry, he had been a non-starter more times than he cared to remember). With the act out of the way, they both fell asleep.

Falling Apart

May 8th 2011, 6:00 am - Brisbane

Dave was woken by a noise and movement, He felt someone put their arm around him and heard Lindsey’s voice say I love you daddy. Why are you in here gorgeous? he asked and I love you to bits too. Belle woke up, so mammy is in my bed with her and I came in here to get some sleep replied Lindsey. This had happened a number of times before and after Belle’s birth. When she was young it was fine but with Lindsey now 17, Dave wasn't comfortable with it. Having told both Susan and Lindsey it has to stop on numerous occasions, he resolved to tell them yet again when he got up. This once however he was happy to have Lindsey by his side and alive, especially after all the vicious arguments that occurred between them before Belle’s birth. With that thought, David fell back to sleep.

Sometime later

Dave woke up with a start. Lindsey was at his side facing away but something felt wrong. She was awake and said I’m going back to my room. A simple statement but sounding full of anger. Still not fully awake, David said what’s the matter? Lindsey just repeated the statement. Yet again he asked but this time with an edge to his voice. For the third time Lindsey repeated it and moved to get up. Instinctively Dave grabbed her arm and angrily said For god sake Lindsey have we done something? Dave was referring to the statement he often used to Susan. So many times she had picked Lindsey up from somewhere and they had argued. Lindsey would storm through the door followed by Susan nearly in tears. Dave automatic response was have we done something again as arguments with Lindsey were always Dave’s fault, Susan’s fault or collectively both of them, but never Lindsey’s.

How was he to know this statement would come back to haunt him later.

Dave, angry that Lindsey was already starting arguments this early, followed her to her room. Susan was sitting in the chair as they walked past. What’s the matter? She asked. I don’t know Dave replied, Go and sort her out because she’s starting again and I’ve had enough already. Dave continued to follow Lindsey who, by now, lay on her bed. Again he repeated Bloody answer me, have we done something?

No replied Lindsey and that was it. We better not have spat Dave and walked out of Lindsey’s room as Susan walked in.

While Susan talked to Lindsey, Dave made coffee and went outside for a cigarette. He had finished it and was now sat at the