Sunday 27 April 2014

Sowerbutt's Face

WO, who had served in various far-flung outposts across the Empire, shivered. He had seen the look on Sowerbutts face before - during the vicious fighting in Cable Street four years earlier. It was not a face for the faint-hearted. Watch your back, old lad. Whatever I can do to help you, you know that. 

Sowerbutt's Pledge

Strapping on his shoulder holster, he turned to WO Barker, his voice sub-zero. Nobody touches the Family and lives. That teacher and his idiots are finished.  Ill swear this in front of you now, my old friend. If Tipper is gone, the Bolshie embassy will disappear and I will cut down every last Red in the Smoke. Blood running in the streets like you have never seen before.

Sowerbutt's Anger

Few people had seen Sowerbutt lose his temper; he had learnt to keep tight control on his emotions. During the Spanish war, you kept your focus or you missed your target. Spaghetti and WO both jumped as the half-empty bottle of Old Bushmills was smashed on the desk, fragments of glass flying everywhere and whiskey spilling across the top. Shaking the jagged neck of the bottle in his fist, Sowerbutt shouted: “Got Tipper? By all thats sacred, this is war. Ill gut that teacher myself and string his mates up twitching. Ive had enough.

Sowerbutt's Friend

Sowerbutt could see disaster written across the tough old soldiers face. His voice icy, he asked: “What message couldnt you trust the boys with?
WO Barker had headed a Blackshirts I section which organised security at the sometimes violent public meetings held by the British Union of Fascists in the years before the war. He and his men had been in the thick of the bitter fighting in the Battle of Cable Street.
He smiled wryly: Hate to be the bearer of bad news, old son. The Reds - the Stepney lot - have got young Tipper."
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Colour-Camouflage-Hitlers-Super-Spy-ebook/dp/B00HT48BN8 

Sowerbutt's Bullet

It was the last thing the man did. A single 8x57 bullet thudded into the centre of his forehead. The body lifted and crumpled backwards onto the dirt track. Nero let in the clutch and the van rolled forward. One-Line jumped out the back, picked up the body and slid it inside in one smooth movement. Spaghetti scooped up a small patch of blood with a shovel and bucket and within seconds the van sped away, heading for The River. Sowerbutt walked quickly back to his motorbike.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Colour-Camouflage-Hitlers-Super-Spy-ebook/dp/B00HT48BN8

Sowerbutt's Signs

Sowerbutt glanced out the car window as they headed for Cambridgeshire and the old Roman road to Norwich. “Glad you know the way, Nero. Haven’t seen a signpost since we left the Smoke.”

“Most of them have been collected in for scrap metal, Mr Sorbay, and to confuse the Jerry parachutists. You only see the odd one and sometimes a milestone that they’ve missed these days.”

Sowerbutt's Plot

“Nero got some of that filthy white powder from Soho and we left it at the teacher’s place as a gift.”
Sowerbutt grinned: “After a quiet chat with Sergeant Le Clay, Nero and I made it over to Whitechapel just in time. Lot of stoppers and reservists there. Some went round the back and then Le Clay kicked the front door in and in they went. Lot of shouting and a right kerfuffle.

“Then the teacher and the old couple who live in the house - pair of long-time Reds - were brought out in handcuffs and pushed into a police van. One stopper brought out a gun - Nagant, we saw it in his bedroom. Must be illegal. Another stopper came out carrying a kitchen tray. A paper bag and a pill box on it; that’s what we left the white stuff in."

Sowerbutt's Gift

“Twice in a couple of days? What’s going on, Sorbay?” Polly laughed as Sowerbutt walked into the Cheapside flat.
He pulled a small box out of his pocket, he had visited his jeweller friend in Paddington before just making the train at St Pancras.
Polly’s eyes widened. “A silver filigree and mesh bracelet, Jimmy? And these are real diamonds. It must have cost you an absolute fortune.”
Sowerbutt grinned: “Only the best for my lady. I’m trying to make up for not seeing you as much as I’d like.”
Polly stood in the middle of the loungeroom, holding the bracelet, with tears running down her cheeks.
Sowerbutt would never understand women. “You like it, you don’t like it. I can change it.”
“Of course, I like it, you big oaf. I love it,” Polly beamed. 
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Colour-Camouflage-Hitlers-Super-Spy-ebook/dp/B00HT48BN8

Sowerbutt's Help

Sowerbutt smiled: “You know my policy, sergeant. We always help the authorities whenever we can. One of my girls was visited by a new client yesterday. London lad. I’ll get her to speak to you if you like. But she‘s a bit emotional, lost family in the bombing."

Sowerbutt ran his hand through his long hair. “Disgusting, sergeant. The lad invited her to a drug party over in Whitechapel. He talked about a white powder. Cocaine, is it? I won’t have a bar of drugs, filthy stuff. Look at those Chinese blokes down in Limehouse, makes them stupid."

Sowerbutt's Query

“Keeping out of mischief, sergeant? Last time you were here, you were talking about that city robbery. What did the papers call it, smash and grab?” Sowerbutt smiled.
Sergeant Le Clay shook his head. “Foreigners after Dunkirk. A lot of them have gone back to France as you know. No checks were made, of course. Didn’t want to provoke Vichy, I was told. What rubbish, wouldn’t surprise me if the half-a-million, or whatever it was, is now stashed under a bed in Cherbourg somewhere, waiting for the end of the war.”