You Don't Mess with Them

"There is, but I want to rattle him a bit first. I'll talk to you about it later, I am seeing you later, aren't I?"

"How can you be so casual? Of course I'll see you later, where?"

"At the pub where we met, I'll see you at six, okay?"

"Yes Darling, at six."

"Great, and don't worry about a thing, it's all under control. By the way, I love you."

"I love you too," There was some hesitation in her voice, she was worried at the turn of events.

When I said that I had everything under control I wasn't telling the whole truth, I needed to talk to Pete first, so lunch at the pub was in order.

He just poured me a red and slid it across the bar to me. "What happened to you on Saturday night, the boys were in here looking for you?"

"I was otherwise occupied."

"Shagging that Sheila were you, not that I blame you. If I had the choice between a good looking bird and a boozy night with my rugby mates, I'd probably choose the bird."

"Speaking of rugby mates, can you get hold of them?"

"Yeah, they'll be in tonight, they fly out in the morning and are having one last night on the town before heading home to Sydney. What's going on?"

"Do you remember that girl I met here a week or so ago? Well it seems that the guy that left her here in the lurch has got his knickers in a twist about her and me hitting it off. We had a heated discussion this morning, me and him and a couple of his mates, and he's not a happy little Vegemite. I expect that he will be looking for revenge and I'll need help, and here tonight would be a good time and place. I'm meeting Jane here at six, so any time after that would be good."

"I'll give Gavin a ring and see what I can organise. A good stoush would be a fitting end to the tour, they've won every game they've played on this trip, so they'll want to leave on a high."

I hadn't been keeping tabs on the scores on the Uni team this trip, having not been a part of the inter-varsity tour, where they played Oxford and Cambridge and a couple of other Universities.

I went back to my room and gave some thought to a follow-up strategy for getting back at Brendan. I cranked up my laptop and tapped into the hotel's Internet access and Googled Brendan's name. He'd been a busy boy, following his graduation he'd managed to get a job in the Brokerage Company where he met Jane. He gave the impression of being a boy wonder, pulling off deals that made the company a great deal of money. His Midas touch was raising eyebrows in certain circles, like the Fraud Squad, where his connection with his father's dodgy business dealings had a piscatorial aroma about them. This interested me and I mean to discuss this with Jane when I see her next. Brendan's father had a reputation as a hard-nosed who took no prisoners in his dealings and wasn't averse to using stand-over tactics to get his own way.

I turned my attention to the father and here I found something that could prove useful. There had been an investigation of sorts into a money laundering operation that he was heavily involved in. For some reason this had never resulted in a prosecution, even though there was a strong body of evidence to support this. There were unsubstantiated rumours that palms had been greased and pressure brought to bear to ensure that no charges were laid. The evidence was still there on public record, and I thought that something should be done. I contacted a mate back home and sent him details of the shonky dealings. "Can you do me a favour and set up a web-site, similar to WikiLeaks, one that we could use to expose the available evidence to the world, and hope that the powers that be are left with no option but to charge him?"

"I can go one better, I'll set up your site and get my geek friends to flood the social media sites with posts demanding something be done about it, all anonymous of course, and untraceable."

"Good one Mate, I owe you."

"Think nothing of it, I've skimmed the info you sent me, he's a shifty bastard isn't he?"

"You'd better believe it, and he has a son that he's been using to make a lot of money, and I get the impression that this side of the business is a laundering operation for his drug empire, he does a lot of cash business with the Cayman Island banks and uses money from those accounts to buy legitimate shares in companies that then over-perform for a short time until their shares go through the roof, and then he sells them off just before they crash and burn. How no-one has ever linked these operations I don't know, but I think that we should somehow stop them."

"You can leave that to me as well, I have friends in the Economics Department that would love to sink their teeth into something like this."

I now had a good feeling and the face that smiled back at me as I shaved was looking better than it had looked for some time, I had a purpose in life and was going to enjoy every minute of it, providing the boys perform well tonight.

I arrived at the pub at 5:30 to be met by good news, great slabs of good news. The boys were all there and ready for a stoush, and Pete had spoken to our mate in Sydney. It would appear that Brendan's father, one Malcolm MacDonald was a very naughty boy indeed, his business enterprises included drugs and prostitution, money laundering, fraud, bribery and extortion. I was surprised just how quickly they had managed to hack into MacDonald's system and extract the files. A website called NaughtyBoys.com had been set up that had managed to upload page after page of interesting financial and phone records that outlined the extent of his businesses. This information had been brought to the attention of the Met. (London Metropolitan Police) with the comment that MacDonald's enterprises could only have survived with the collusion and protection of a member of the force.

The name of the website attracted a lot of attention and some of the hits were from men with a certain sexual bent looking for something to satisfy their prurient interests. That some of these were also members of the business community ensured that rumours of the content of the site spread rapidly around that community. Affected members were taking steps to rapidly divest themselves of any connection between themselves and Malcom MacDonald. Someone was not going to be a happy man for long.

His son was going to be unhappy much sooner than he was. Jane arrived at the pub just before 6:00 and was locked in my arms and tender embrace when Brendan walked in with his support team of six burly young men. "I thought as much." He said to us. "I turn my back for five minutes and you rush into the arms of this, this Aussie yokel. I think that we should teach this man a lesson that he can take back to his proper place, to remind him which of us is the most important. Shall we commence lads."

The 'lads' prepared to teach me my lesson but what they didn't notice in their enthusiasm for that lesson, was the entire Sydney University 1st XV forward pack move into position behind them. If you have ever been underneath a rolling maul you will understand the carnage that followed. While they weren't wearing rugby boots with studs, with their combined weight approaching a tonne, and wearing heavy duty hiking boots that served a similar purpose, they locked together in scrum formation and rushed into the back of the 'lads', flattening them, and rolling over them with a well-practiced and joyous application of boot to whatever part of the anatomy was available, before spitting them out the back of the maul. They then rolled on to flatten Brendan, taking extra care to modify his face on the way past. When they turned in preparation for a second maul the front row looked quite disappointed at the lack of resistance shown by the 'lads' to a continuation of the experience. In their stunned minds they had learned that when it comes to a stoush with a pack of rugby forwards, you don't mess with them.

Brendan was just staggering to his feet when two men, who could only be plain clothed policemen, walked up to him. "Brendan MacDonald, you are under arrest on the charge of fraud, you will come with us." Turning to the groaning mass of six 'lads', he spoke in a voice that brooked no resistance. "As for you miserable specimens, we will be chatting to you later in regards to certain matters under investigation, but for now you'd better make yourself scarce if you don't want to be charged with affray." He then turned his attention to my support team. "You gentlemen will enjoy your last night in London won't you?"

"You bet sir, and thank you." Gavin, the team captain answered, "We fully intend to."

"In moderation of course, we wouldn't want to see QANTAS refuse to allow you to board because you're inebriated, would we?"

"Point taken sir, point taken." He smiled as the police left. "Now, Mark, Pete has told us some of what this is about, tell us all, including an introduction to this divine creature you have here, and does she have any friends who would like a good time tonight?"

"Gavin, this is Jane, the future Mrs Mark Wallace, Jane this is Gavin, as for the other reprobates, you don't want to know them, but they are members of the Sydney Uni rugby team." The party kicked on in earnest, and a phone call from Pete resulted in the arrival of a group of girls all looking for a good time. By 8:00 the party was getting a little exuberant so Pete suggested to Gavin that they and the girls should adjourn to their hotel. This suggestion was taken up, and soon the pub was relatively quiet. Jane and I decided that pub fare was good enough for tonight so we ordered a meal and sat back to enjoy it in peace.

We would have enjoyed it even more if we'd known what was happening in various places around the city. At Police Headquarters Brendan was not happy, his obligatory phone call was to his father who promised that his lawyer would attend and bail him out. That he didn't come himself was disappointing enough, that the lawyer had taken a long time to get there, was even worse, and when he basically told him that, on balance, he should plead guilty to the charges of fraud, because the evidence that the police had was compelling enough to ensure that he would spend some time in gaol. "What bullshit is this? You are paid good money to take care of my father's interests, and that includes mine. Now earn your fee and get me out of here!"

What Brendan didn't know was that the lawyer was working under instructions to stall as long as possible to give Malcolm time to get the hell out of the country. "The evidence that I have seen is that you are guilty of Insider Trading and fraudulently using monies other than that you have been authorised to use, and carrying out transactions that you have not been authorised to carry out. The documentary evidence will stand up and you will be convicted." His next statement reflected his doubt that he would receive any further payments from Malcom MacDonald. "My suggestion to you is to make a deal with the police to provide them with evidence that they can use to convict your father, because, believe me, you have been hung out to dry."

"What do you mean?"

"Your father is, as we speak, attempting to flee the country."

"What? He would never leave me in the lurch like this, after all that I've done for him."

"He can and he has, or at least he is trying to." His mind went back to the conversation that he had with the police before coming in to interview Brendan, conversation that suggested that they should proceed at speed to the airport and prevent Malcolm's private jet from taking off.

Malcolm, meanwhile, was beginning to relax, the Gulfstream 5 was taxiing towards the runway and the pilot was talking to the tower. "Gatwick tower this is Gulf 5 requesting clearance for take-off outbound for Barbados."

"Gulf 5, this is Gatwick tower, clearance is denied, you are to remain on the apron to await the arrival of police and emergency vehicles."

"Gatwick tower, this is Gulf 5, would you repeat that?"

"Gulf 5, this is Gatwick tower, clearance is denied, you are to remain on the apron to await the arrival of police and emergency vehicles."

"Gatwick tower, this is Gulf 5, message received and understood."

Malcolm was beginning to get uneasy, the plane had not moved, even though the traffic was light and there had been several opportunities to proceed onto the tarmac and take-off. "What's going on?" he asked the cabin crew.

"I don't know sir." The cabin attendant had been chosen more for her looks than her brains.

"Then find out?"

"Yes sir." She went to the front of the plane and tapped on the door. "Mr MacDonald wants to know what the hold-up is."

"Tell Mr MacDonald that we have been denied clearance to take-off for some reason."

She went back to Malcolm. "The Captain has told me that take-off clearance has been denied."

"We'll see about that." Malcolm stormed forward and banged on the cockpit door. "I don't give a shit if the tower won't clear you for take-off, you get this thing moving, now!"

"I'm afraid sir, but that is impossible."

"Why the fuck not?"

"Because of that thing." He pointed to the fire tender that had just pulled in front of the plane.

"Fuck! Don't just stand there, do something!"

"What would you suggest? We can't move back because there is a police car just pulling in behind us. We cannot move, and I am going to comply with any direction given to me by the police, I don't care who you are or who you know, it's my livelihood that's at stake here and I love flying too much to give that away for you." He instructed the cabin attendant to unlock the door and lower the steps to let the police on board. Malcolm came to the realisation that life as he knew it was over.

The news got even worse for Malcolm as the night wore on. A search of his plane revealed a hidden compartment containing a large quantity of money on its way to banks in the Cayman Islands. A sniffer dog picked up minute traces of drug residue in the same compartment indicating that it had been used to ship drugs into the country. The Fraud Squad had looked closely at the financial details provided by the 'NaughtyBoys.com' website and it revealed payments to a Council Officer who had signed off on the construction of Malcolm's new office building. Under questioning that officer had revealed that the concrete used did not comply with minimum specifications, neither did the glass used on the face wall at the front of the building. He told them that duress had been used to force him to sign off on the construction, and that the money he had supposedly been paid had in fact been used to repay gambling debts. Testing of the concrete and glass later resulted in the building having to be demolished.

"I wish I didn't have to go to work this morning." Jane whispered to me as she stroked life back into my limp cock.

"Then why don't you call in sick, you could tell them that you have industrial dysentery."

"What's that?"

"Work gives you the shits. I would love for you to stay with me today, I'm going to the airport to make sure that the boys catch their flight home and for the rest of the day I'm as free as a bird."

Jane reluctantly, sadly, after one more session of lovemaking left for work, only to return half an hour later. "You won't believe this, but the place was crawling with Fraud Squad detectives going over our records. My boss told me that, while they weren't interested in the Currency Desk, I should make myself scarce until further notice. That was all I needed, I came straight back. How long do we have before we have to be at the airport?" She said as she kissed me and fondled him.

"Long enough." I told her as I began to undress her.

We only just made it to the airport. The boys had been accompanied by the girls from the previous night, all of them looking a little worse for wear. Pete was there with Fiona, another Australian, from the bar at the pub, who had that look that told the world that he was her property and girls should approach him at their peril. Pete was pleased with that look. There was a lot of hand shaking and back slapping from Pete and I and a bunch of players from teams that they had played against, and hugs and tears from the girls, sad to see this rowdy bunch of good guys leaving them behind. We all stayed until the plane was but a speck on the horizon.

"We'd better get back to work." Pete told Fiona. "Are you two coming back for lunch, it's on the house."

"Sure thing." Jane answered for both of us. "We have a lot to talk about. I don't suppose that you've heard the news about Brendan and his father, have you?"

"I heard something on the radio as I was shaving this morning, why, what's happened."

"I'll tell you all about it over lunch."

Lunch went on for a long time, Pete and Fiona had to leave us for short periods to serve other customers, but came back as quickly as possible. "Doesn't your boss have some rules about fraternising with customers?" I asked Pete.

"He doesn't dare complain, he knows damn well that he will not find better workers than us, and if we leave the rest of the staff will leave as well. It is in his best interests to ensure that we are happy in our work."

"By the way, I meant to ask you, how was it that the police were close at hand, it was almost as if they were outside waiting for the trouble to start?"

"You can thank me for that," Fiona said, "My Great-great whatever uncle owns this pub and he has a Brother-in-Law who's in the Met, and when Pete mentioned that there might be trouble last night and who was involved, I told my uncle, and he told his Brother-in-Law, and he told the Met, and they jumped at the chance to grab Brendan so that they could leverage information out of him. Apparently he wasn't going to give Malcolm up until they told him that they had arrested his father fleeing the country. His canary impression was very well received."

We went back to my hotel and Jane called her parents to wangle an invite to stay with them until she could go back to work, whenever that was.

"Never liked him." Roger's first comment when told of what had happened to Brendan. "His whole attitude towards you was wrong, he had no interest in you other than as a fashion accessory. He was using you and I'm surprised that you hadn't recognised that much earlier. I would never have consented to you marrying him, and probably have never spoken to you again if you'd gone behind my back and married him."

"Why didn't you say something to me sooner?" Jane said. "It would have saved me a lot of heartache."

"But it did help you to realise what a great catch Mark is."

"I knew that the second that I saw him."

"So what are you two going to do while you're here? We can't have you hanging around like a bad smell now, can we?"

"What would you like us to do?" I asked.

"Can you ride one of those tractor mowers?"

"Sure." (I had never done it, but how hard could it be?)

"Well there's a lot of grass in need of cutting, if you'd like to make a start on that for me."

"Dad, you don't expect Mark to do all the work for you, do you? You have Gardeners for that."

"That's all right, I need something to do to occupy my mind, we can't be doing you know what all the time, can we?"

"You don't have to be ashamed of the fact that you are a normal couple with normal urges, we're aware that the two of you have been making love."

"Lead me to the mower." I expected Roger to lead the way but it was Jane that took me to the equipment shed and showed me the workings of the mower. There was quite a lot of lawn surrounding the house and this task kept me occupied for three hours. After an hour and a half Jane came over with a cool drink (non-alcoholic) and a kiss and cuddle to keep me going until after dinner.

The TV news that night was full of Malcolm and Brendan MacDonald's arrest and the increasing number of charges being laid against them. There was a brief mention of the Brokerage, but no charges had been laid against them, although investigations were continuing. "Couldn't happen to nicer people." Roger commented.