Nate didn't notice the gun rubbing against his back as he walked to keep his appointment, he knew he would never use it but just the presence of the weapon would ensure the deal would go ahead.
The dark heavy clouds had been settled over the Ipswich skyline for the last four hours and Carol knew that they weren't going to move on anytime soon. The rain had been clattering against the office windows even before Carol had arrived that morning and as her lunch break approached Carol knew that she was going to get wet. There was of course a more sensible option for Carol but she wasn't going to take it, she had to get out of the office no matter what Mother Nature threw at her.
Carol grabbed her handbag and retrieved her trusty black umbrella from underneath her desk and breathed a sigh of relief as she headed out into the rain and away from the monotony of the office. As Carol walked towards the Buttermarket shopping centre she found it increasingly difficult to navigate the narrow paths. Not just because those who were brave enough to leave their offices had left at the same time but also because like Carol they were all desperately trying to keep under their umbrellas and out of the rain.
The gun had done its job; the deal had been done, at half the price as well. Nate smiled to himself, not just because of the money he had saved but also he realised the drug had finally started to work its magic.
Finally Carol had reached the sanctuary of the shopping centre, letting her umbrella down as she passed through the entrance. The rain sodden umbrella was dripping heavily and as Carol walked she vehemently tried to stop it from dripping and damaging her woollen beige suit trousers, cursing to herself at the terrible choice of outfit she had made that morning.
Although Nate was high he was so used to the feeling that he knew he could still function, this was proven as he walked out of Bourne Park heading towards Montgomery Road and his girlfriends flat. With the money he had saved he thought it was only fair to treat her to a lunch somewhere in town.
Carol made her way towards her favourite clothes shop, there was nothing she liked better than to while away her lunch hour browsing and choosing what clothes she would buy as soon as her next pay cheque hit her bank account. Suddenly Carol's gaze focused on the sale section and she quickly made her way to browse through the discounted items. For the first time that day her brain was faced with its biggest decision, does she max out her credit card to treat herself or does she bide her time and hope that the sale would still be on in two weeks time? It was no contest really, Carol knew that she was far too sensible to do anything to get herself into debt.
After winning the battle with her conscience Carol felt on a natural high as she left the shop. Glancing at her watch Carol couldn't believe how quickly the time had passed, she was in the middle of the shopping centre, a ten-minute walk from her office with only five minutes left of her lunch hour. Carol hastily walked out of the enclosed building stopping briefly to put her umbrella up once again as the rain was still descending.
Walking as quickly as she could Carol tried her best to avoid everyone else who was walking towards her on the narrow path, occasionally having to step into the road to avoid any collision. Carol was constantly lifting her umbrella up high, turning it to one side and then another in order to ensure that she didn't hit anyone. But then Carol encountered a situation that she could see no way out of.
Esther and Kate had enjoyed their leisurely lunch, catching up with one another's news from the past month, they had eventually paid their bill and were standing in the doorway of the restaurant, preparing to open their umbrella to protect them from the bombardment of rain. They waited patiently for a gap to appear, and then Esther saw their chance.
Carol saw the two women attempting to leave the restaurant, although she was already running late, Carol stopped and allowed them some space to leave, but Carol had failed to see the young couple rapidly walking towards her.
Kate and Esther had managed to get their umbrella open and thanked Carol as they left the opening of the restaurant and stepped onto the pavement. All of a sudden before they had realised, the young couple had descended on Kate, Esther and Carol. The girl muttered to herself as she barged past Carol but then the guy pushed Carol's umbrella with such force that she stumbled into Esther and Kate.
"Oi do you mind?
Esther and Kate helped Carol steady herself as the three of them looked at the young man waiting for his response.
"Fuck off!
"Any reason why you couldn't wait thirty seconds and show a bit of courtesy?
The guy walked up to Carol and stared her in the face.
"If you stupid people didn't wander around with your umbrellas hogging the paths then we wouldn't have a problem.
"Well it's better than getting soaking wet!
"Like me 'cause I got no brolly?
Carol desperately tried to reply, her mouth opened and said the words but no sound came out, suddenly she was staring up at the black clouds, her feet pointing up at the rain drops falling down on her and the head had landed hard against the concrete pavement.
It only took Esther and Kate a brief moment to realise what happened but it was Kate who was the first to respond.
"Quick someone get an ambulance, she's been shot!
People were screaming, running in no particular direction, whilst Carol laid on the pavement staring up at the rain as it fell onto her bloodied body. Carol turned her head to find the source of the incredible pain she was enduring, instinctively her hands clasped over the wound but she was failing to stop the blood oozing out and into the gutter beside her.
"Ok love I'm to help you, what's your name?
Carol moved her gaze from the gutter and towards the male paramedic beside her.
"Carol.
"Right then Carol let's see what we can do to help you feel a little better.
The paramedic moved Carol's hands away from her stomach as she started to drift in and out of consciousness. Carol desperately wanted to stay alert so she could find out what the hell was happening to her.
The police were quick to respond to the call with Esther and Kate the first people they spoke to, luckily they provided them with extremely accurate descriptions but they knew that without a name it was going to be hard to quickly track down the right 6 male with blond hair.
Nate stared at Cassie who just looked back in disbelief at him, there was no other option left open to him and she knew it.
"See you soon Cassie!
Nate turned and started to run down Lower Brook Street, stopping only briefly to hide the gun back in the waistband of his jeans. Nate didn't look out of place as after the shot had rung out the lunchtime crowd had scrambled and Nate just looked like another scared shopper running away from danger.
The traffic around the docks was at a standstill as all available police vehicles rushed towards the town centre. Nate dodged between what he thought were stationary cars.
"Hey watch it mate!
"Sorry I didn't expect the traffic to move.
"No worries, what's happening?
"Some loon is going apeshit with a gun.
"Holy moses, anyone hurt?
"God knows, I was coming out of Sainsburys when a heard a gunshot, I just legged it here and am trying to get home to my girlfriend.
"Shit, take care.
Nate glanced at the guy as he frantically tried to get a signal on his mobile, no time for sympathy though there was only time to race to the docks before the police caught up with him.
"Ok Carol nice and easy while we lift you onto the stretcher.
Carol closed her eyes and winced with pain as the paramedics carefully lifted her onto the stretcher and pushed her towards the ambulance.
"Hey Carol I take it you want the sirens on!
"Of course, full works for me!
As the ambulance rushed to the hospital all Carol could think about was how she had managed to survive this far. This was not how she wanted to end her life, only 28 years old and shot on the mean streets of Ipswich. In any other situation Carol would have burst out laughing at the thought but then she realised that it really had happened and she had the hole in her stomach to prove it.
"Right then Carol, we'll be at the hospital in a minute. Carol are you still with me?
"Yes, don't worry I don't think that I'll be going anywhere for the next hour or two!
"Good. Now you keep concentrating on my ugly mug and I'll see if I can find a nice male nurse or two to look after you!
Carol closed her eyes, but only for a second, she felt incredibly weak and all Carol wanted to do was sleep. But from somewhere she found the strength to keep fighting to stay alive.
Twenty minutes after the shot had been fired there were few people on the streets f Ipswich. The police had no other witnesses apart from Esther and Kate as everyone else had darted for cover and had yet to emerge. The area around where Carol had been shot was taped off and officers were on their knees desperately trying to retrieve some evidence before the heavy rain washed it all down into the gutter and away into the town's drainage system.
In no time at all Nate had reached the edge of the docks. Managing to stop running just in time before he tripped over the metal barrier and into the murky water below. Sweating profusely Nate nearly dropped the gun before he was ready.
"Hey Nate calm down!
Nate knew that he had to get rid of the gun, he had no other option given what had just happened. Turning to look down towards the bars and restaurants but Nate knew he was far enough away from prying eyes.
"Suppose we'd better say our goodbyes then friend!
Nate kissed the barrel of the gun before he consigned it to the rubbish-filled dock.
Carol was still awake as the ambulance pulled up outside the hospital and she was quickly wheeled into a side room. There was organised chaos all around Carol and she had no idea what was happening to her. Once again Carol stared upwards and concentrated on a ceiling tile, anything to help her stay conscious.
There was a highly visible police presence on the streets of Ipswich, they were desperately trying to calm and reassure the nervous public. Of course the reality that they had no idea where the gunman was or if he intended to strike again was a silent knowledge shared by all police personnel on duty or not.
Carol's gaze was still fixated on the ceiling tile, the drugs that were pumped into her were beginning to make Carol feely drowsy, but still she refused to fall asleep.
"Right Carol, we're going to have to take you up to be operated on.
Carol managed to shift her gaze downwards to the doctor.
"The bullet is still lodged in your stomach and we need to remove straight away.
Tears quickly welled up in Carol's eyes, the massive fight that she had fought against her body was over, she had no control over the situation now. They were going to put her to sleep.
"Plop!
Nate peered down into the water and watched the gun sink to the bottom. Then the distant sound of sirens brought him back to reality and he started to run once again, heading over Stoke Bridge and towards Rectory Road. Nate had to get another hit now so he could try and obliterate the memories of what had just happened. Five minutes later he was outside the flat, banging loudly on the door until the familiar eye peeped through the spy hole.
"Come on Squid open up, it's me Nate.
"Ok hang on a minute.
The solid metal door creaked open just wide enough for Nate squeeze through and enter the squalid flat.
"Listen Squid I need some stuff now, I don't care what it is just give me something!
"Yeah no worries, hey you ok?
"Just had a little problem in town, had to get away quick before the police caught up with me.
Squid grabbed hold of Nate's jacket and shoved him hard against the poster-clad wall.
"Shit Nate, am I going to have this place raided any minute now?
"Calm down Squid, it's ok, I just need some stuff then I'm outta here.
Squid let Nate go and pushed him down onto the bare wooden floor.
"You got the cash?
"Yeah.
Nate dragged out some crushed notes from his jeans pocket, laying them on the wooden coffee table where Squid handled the transactions.
"Cheers, there you go.
Nate snatched the bag up from the table and left as quickly as he had arrived.
The whole town was eerily quiet, it was still in a state of shock over the senseless attack. A report came into the police that a guy matching the gunman's description had been seen acting suspiciously by the docks near the abandoned malt factory. Immediately virtually the whole of the Ipswich police force descended on the docks but when they arrived it was as deserted as the town centre.
Carol had never been very religious but as she was being rushed into surgery she began to pray the somehow she would get through all of this and be able to go and treat herself to as many clothes as her credit card would allow.
"Carol? Carol? Stop guys she's arrested!
Carol couldn't keep her eyes open any longer, all the strength that she had managed to find earlier had suddenly abandoned her. She was desperately trying to fight to stay alive but Carol was beginning to realise that maybe this was a fight that she couldn't win.
"Stand clear everyone.
The doctor tried to shock Carol's heart back to life but there was no response.
"And again.
"Right we've got her back, let's get her into surgery.
Nate shoved the drugs into his pocket and slowly jogged towards Bourne Park and the hangout he and his friends had created. Even though the rain had eased to a drizzle Nate's clothes were sodden, though at the moment that was the last thing on his mind. Entering the park Nate headed straight to the old cricket clubhouse, he sat down and got himself organised. A minute later he was ready for the rush that was about to come. But in his haste Nate had forgotten to shut the door properly and as he slumped, needle hanging out of his arm, he fell out of the door and onto the wet grass outside. Nate didn't care as he had faded away into a different world.
The police seared the docks but found nothing, they knew that they may have to search underwater but that was a time consuming job and certainly wouldn't help to reassure the public that there was no longer a threat. Then a call came over the radio that there was a suspected drug overdose in Bourne Park.
Carol's eyes were firmly shut now. The anaesthetic had done its dirty deed and had sent her into a deep, but not peaceful, sleep. The choice of whether Carol lived or died had now been squarely placed on the shoulders of the surgeon who had just begun to operate on her.
Carol had done her best, she was a fit young woman who had so far lead a predictably normal life in what had seemed to be a fairly normal safe town, what more could she have done?
The heavy rain meant that the park was almost completely empty as the two officers entered, and it didn't take them long to spot the body sprawled out flat on the wet grass.
"Oh great this one looks like a goner!
"Yeah well let's wait for the ambulance before we start jumping to conclusions.
"Hey Steve, do you see what I see?
"I'm on it already.
Steve got on his radio immediately to let everyone know that they had just found the suspected gunman.
The surgeon was exhausted as he left the operating theatre five hours after he had entered. He had tried everything humanly possible to try and save Carol's life, but it had all been in vain.
The second metal door slammed shut, the heavy rain hitting the windows was the only other sound in the room, summing up the mood of the whole town. Two dead bodies, one a young woman shot dead, the young gunman also dead from a heroin overdose. The morgue attendant shook his head in disbelief. This wasn't supposed to happen here.
