Hell's Glen: A Thrilling and Fast-Pace Gritty Romantic-Suspense Read online

  Carrying her wine and a bowl of steaming pasta, she padded through to the spare room and switched on the computer. The bank of monitors flickered to life, illuminating the seventies-style room with its swirly carpet and flowery curtains in a pale glow. The computer hummed as she launched the 1024-bit encrypted messaging application she’d developed, and pinged Pandora and Scotty. They were both online and waiting.

  Part of a wider community known in the cyber world as Grey Nemesis, they described themselves as ethical hackers. Unlike those known as ‘black hats’, who set out to exploit and destroy, and ‘white hats’ who never strayed beyond legal boundaries, they considered themselves ‘grey-hat’ hackers who fell somewhere in between. Targeting only unscrupulous companies and individuals, they dispensed cyber justice. Swiftly. They never used their skills to benefit personally or to profit, but they’d been known to divert considerable funds to charities and deserving victims.

  [Moniker] Has GL given us the green light?

  [Scotty] Aye aye Captain, it all checks out. Informant’s a cop. Says Hendry’s a known kiddy fiddler who got off on a technicality. They need the bastard caught. Urgently

  The Grey Nemesis collective got its tip-offs from various sources including jaded police officers, lawyers, social workers and teachers. Their leader, known as Grey Lady or GL, decided whom and what to target.

  [Pandora] Hendry’s taken the bait

  Pandora had previously sent a log of her communication with Robert Hendry over the course of a few weeks in an online chat room. She’d been pretending to be a man of a similar ilk who’d access to merchandise he thought might interest him. The messages between Hendry and Pandora were sickening as Hendry believed Pandora was offering him an opportunity to abuse ‘his’ seven-year-old nephew. The liaison was scheduled to take place this evening at a flat close to where Hendry lived, and he’d already completed an online payment for the agreed amount. Pandora had instructed him to bring Duct tape, tissues and lube.

  As she ate, Kathryn checked that everything was set, then replied.

  [Moniker] Everything and everyone’s in place. Let’s bag a paedo

  [Pandora] I’ve messaged Hendry and he’s on his way to the property

  Kathryn launched a window displaying CCTV images for them all to see, and she began recording. A grainy picture appeared of a scruffy, balding man in his fifties shambling down the street carrying a plastic carrier bag.

  [Scotty] Is that the worthless bag of shit? Cannae see his face …

  [Moniker] It’s him, just wait …

  She watched as Hendry approached a block of modern flats and pushed the buzzer next to the communal entrance door. She tapped her keyboard and the image on-screen switched to the camera above the door, the frame now filled with Robert Hendry’s face.

  As Hendry entered, she flicked the feed to display internal camera footage of him ascending several flights of stairs to a flat on the top floor, ensuring the images blended seamlessly together, with the date and time appearing on the bottom right of the screen. She watched as Hendry glanced around nervously and knocked on the door.

  [Pandora] He thinks he’s meeting me, Pete Burns

  [Scotty] Pete Burns? Really? Stupid dickfrog

  Pandora sent him a smiley face. With a few more keystrokes, the camera angle changed to one inside the flat. Hendry entered and was greeted by a younger man who introduced himself as Pete. They could hear the audio clearly as the two men shook hands.

  Pete said, “He’s in the back room waiting. I’ve given him a sedative but you’d best gag him. Don’t want the neighbours complaining.”

  Hendry asked, “Where you gonna be? Not staying to watch?”

  “Nah, pub across the road. You’ve got an hour. Only what we agreed, mind. Did you remember to bring lube? I cannae return him to my sister damaged.”

  “Won’t he talk?” said Hendry, taking a tube of lubricant from his bag.

  “Not if he knows what’s good for him.”

  Hendry produced a chocolate bar. “I got him a sweetie for after. I’m no a monster.”

  They watched as the two men chuckled.

  [Moniker] I feel sick…

  Pete indicated the back bedroom and then departed. Hendry stood in the hallway and scrubbed a hand over his face. After a long pause, he took a step towards the exit.

  [Scotty] FUUUCK! He’s going to bail? We might not have enough to nail the slimy fucktard if he does…

  Kathryn held her breath as she observed Hendry dither, and she cursed when he put a hand on the front door handle to leave. Suddenly, Hendry spun on his heel and marched towards the bedroom. Smiling, she switched the camera image to there and the surprise awaiting him. Instead of a sedated boy, two men not much smaller than a house greeted Hendry. She punched her fist into the air as they collared him. Roughly.

  She switched off the cameras and audio feed for two minutes, as agreed, to allow the two vigilantes to have a quiet word with Hendry.

  [Scotty] Got the evidence we need. Well done all!

  [Pandora] Great knowing he’ll no longer be preying on children

  [Moniker] Want to scrub my skin with a wire brush and Dettol after that

  [Scotty] Chat’s going mental. GLs given us kudos!

  Kathryn bundled all the recordings and transcripts together and uploaded them to the vigilante group and their police contact, while Pandora sent Hendry’s payment to a children’s charity. Afterwards, she chatted online with her friends and asked what was next for Grey Nemesis.

  [Scotty] GL wants us to lie low for a bit. We’re taking a lotta heat for Sherwood

  Sherwood was the last major hack Grey Nemesis had carried out, so named because it was, in true Robin Hood fashion, about robbing the rich to give to the poor. Months in planning, they’d targeted the coffers of numerous corporations across the globe who’d profiteered from the Covid-19 pandemic. Determined to punish their unscrupulous behaviour, the group had diverted millions of dollars to victims, their families and charities. As part of this, Moniker, Pandora and Scotty had carried out reconnaissance by hacking into information held by government institutions including the IRS and several other US agencies. In doing so, they’d kicked up a storm.

  She asked Scotty what he’d planned for the weekend and she laughed when he revealed he was going to intercept his neighbour’s Amazon drone delivery of a smart coffee machine so he never had to wait on a cappuccino again. Pandora revealed she’d a date on Saturday, and she’d already vetted him thoroughly online. Kathryn felt a pang of sadness at having turned down Chris, certain he’d hook up with another girl soon. When Scotty inquired about her own plans, she explained what’d happened with her boss. After a string of expletives from her cyberbuddies, Scotty made her laugh.

  [Scotty] So you blowing the boss next week?

  [Pandora] Ugh. Just hack in, approve the probation and give yourself a pay rise while you’re at it. Make it look like Tod and Jane signed it off.

  [Moniker] I’ve another idea...

  [Scotty] Cannae wait. Til then, live long and prosper!

  It was Thursday and Kathryn had spent the week in avoidance. Avoiding men. Avoiding Chris. Avoiding her boss. It was going well until another meeting with Tod appeared in her work calendar for Friday afternoon. She’d had a knot in her stomach since receiving the invite, and at the thought of what she was about to unleash.

  She blamed Scotty. He’d given her the idea with all his talk of Amazon deliveries and smart gadgets. It never ceased to amaze her what you could purchase online, and what gadgets manufacturers thought a good idea to connect to the internet. As a hacker, she loved this wave of new ‘Internet of Things’ products and appliances, but coffee machines, she decided, were much too important to risk being infected with malware.

  She’d purchased two of her chosen gadget: one, she sent to herself; the other, direct to Tod care of the office. Earlier that day, she’d stifled a gasp when she spotted Tracy from Reception delivering the Amazon box to Tod’s office. H
e’d been in a board meeting and it had sat on his desk all afternoon untouched, but Tod’s absence had also given Kathryn the opportunity to add another device to his office.

  She’d left work early, and had gone straight home and logged on. After checking everything was ready, Kathryn launched a couple of apps and pinged Scotty and Pandora.

  [Moniker] On-screen is Tod’s office. You got popcorn?

  [Scotty] Aye, cannae wait to see what you’ve planned for the vulgar little maggot

  While they waited for Tod to appear, she showed her buddies video footage of Tod having rough sex in his office with his mistress, Jane from HR.

  [Moniker] You know I can’t bear to watch this kinda stuff, but it shows what he’s like

  After the clip ended, Scotty replied.

  [Scotty] Ugh, you should see his come face!

  [Moniker] No thanks

  [Pandora] Love how you used his own web cam

  [Moniker] This video feed’s new, installed the camera today

  They didn’t have long to wait before Tod appeared and closed the door.

  [Moniker] Show time!

  The picture was clear and Kathryn watched as he opened the box Tracy had delivered and removed the gadget inside. Perplexed, he turned it over in his hand.

  [Scotty] Oh no, you didn’t?

  [Moniker] Oh yes, I did!

  [Pandora] WTF! Is that for real?

  [Moniker] Aye. Please cyber gods, make him use it

  Holding her breath, Kathryn watched as Tod locked his door, closed the blinds and inspected the gadget. With a bemused expression, he read the accompanying gift note.

  [Pandora] Who does he think it’s from?

  [Moniker] Mistress Jane

  She chuckled as she watched Tod read the instructions and undo his trousers.

  [Scotty] FFS the stupid assbutt is putting it on!

  Kathryn watched as Tod freed himself from his underwear and poked his privates into the chastity cage for men. With a few quick taps of her fingers, she communicated with the device and locked it firmly into place around his penis. She’d practised already with its twin using miniature courgettes of a similar size. She laughed aloud at the look of panic on his face as the ring clamped around his length. Wide-eyed, he grasped at the gadget and tugged on it, to no avail.

  [Pandora] OMG funniest thing EVER

  [Scotty] Fan-fuckin-tastic!

  Swearing, Tod scanned the instructions and attempted to install the manufacturer’s app on his smartphone. He was still grappling with it when there was a knock at his office door. Eyes bulging, and in a falsetto voice, he asked who it was. He admitted Jane and locked the door behind her. Bent double laughing, Kathryn watched the pair of them tug on the chastity cage while, panic-stricken, Tod bounced from foot to foot.

  [Scotty] LMAO. You going to release the whiny little choad?

  [Pandora] NOT YET PLEASE, this is way too funny

  [Moniker] Eventually…

  [Scotty] Guess he’ll approve your probation after you show him the footage?

  [Pandora] AND A PAY RISE

  [Moniker] That’s the plan, and I’ll make sure he never harasses another woman or I’ll be showing this to his BOSS and his WIFE

  Kathryn squealed with laughter at the expression on Tod’s face as Jane used one hand to brace his balls and the other to tug on the chastity cage.

  [Scotty] Doesn’t she realise you cannae change the laws of physics?

  Kathryn’s doorbell sounded and she ignored it as she continued to chat with her buddies and laugh at the comedy show on-screen. It rang more insistently, and she ignored that too. Other than Chris, she’d no friends and she wasn’t expecting any callers at this time of night.

  Then someone began thumping loudly on the front door. Sighing, she let her friends know she’d be back.

  [Moniker] Doorbell, brb…

  JOB

  "God promises to make something good out of the storms that bring devastation to your life."

  ROMANS 8:28

  Kathryn

  “Kathryn Sinclair?” asked the man on her doorstep.

  She stared at him, unable to tear her eyes from the deep scar on the left side of his face. His expression alone sent a wave of dread through her, never mind the four accompanying uniformed police officers.

  Peering through the gap between the door and the jamb, she swallowed hard. “Uhm, yes, what’s this about?”

  Flashing a warrant card, he said, “Detective Sergeant James Denton, Police Scotland, may I come in?”

  Oh, dear God, no!

  She backpedalled into the hallway as the officers entered. Denton and a woman officer led her into the living room where he explained that she was being detained under various sections of the Computer Misuse Act, which he listed.

  Kathryn felt the room pitch beneath her feet as he cautioned her with, “You are not obliged to say anything but anything you do say…”

  Barely able to comprehend what was happening, she slumped into a chair and stared at him. Fear prickled down her spine as he explained that he was from the cyber-crime division. There were no handcuffs or shouting, just polite questions. Kathryn mumbled answers which the woman wrote down, while she watched a stream of uniformed officers trample through her home carrying boxes and evidence bags.

  Denton snooped round the room, picking up a leaflet on a feminist lecture she’d planned to attend at Glasgow University. Dressed in a navy suit and tie, it was his demeanour, rather than his attire, that left her in no doubt he was in charge. After casting a disapproving eye over her bookcase, he selected Simone de Beauvoir’s The Second Sex and fixed her with the full force of his icy glare. With a snort of disdain, he tossed it onto the floor and loomed over her using every inch of his six-foot height. Pulse racing, she began to tremble. He opened his mouth to say something only to be interrupted by peals of laughter from the back of the house.

  “Jamie, you’ve got to see this,” shouted an officer.

  With a parting glower at her, he disappeared, leaving Kathryn with the female officer. He reappeared soon after and Kathryn saw his lips twitch in amusement as he asked his colleague to escort Kathryn to the bedroom. Several officers were huddled around her screen peering at Tod pulling frantically at the chastity gadget while Jane punched her finger at a smartphone. Tod began screaming.

  Denton fixed Kathryn with a cold blue stare. “Care to tell me what that’s about?”

  Kathryn bit her bottom lip, fixed her eyes on the floor and said nothing.

  Denton picked up the chastity ring and courgette lying next to her keyboard and shook his head. The officers sniggered. “Can you control that thing?” he said, pointing to the gadget onscreen.

  Knowing the truth would incriminate her, she shook her head.

  Denton raised an eyebrow. “Really? The poor bastard will need an angle grinder to get that off.”

  More sniggering.

  When she responded with a shrug, Denton shot her a withering look and growled, “Get her out of my sight.”

  Jamie

  October the following year, Scotland

  DS James Denton slid into a corner table in the Happy Union pub, while his boss, Superintendent Gillian Millar, bought the drinks. It was a weekday lunchtime and the Happy Onion, as the local constabulary had nicknamed it, was quiet. Unchanged in all the years Jamie and his colleagues had been regulars, it boasted a brown and beige swirly carpet in the lounge, sticky worn vinyl at the bar, and nicotine-stained walls which bore black and white photos of a Glasgow that no longer existed. Someone had attempted to add charm with fake beams and horse brasses which appeared incongruous next to the fruit machine and television screen permanently tuned to a sports channel.

  Jamie had slept badly after drinking on his own the night before, not an unusual occurrence these days, and a headache pounded behind his temples. Gill slid a lager towards him.

  “Well, it’s not good news if you’re buying me a pint,” he muttered.

  She offered him a
rueful smile as she took the seat opposite. Denton liked Gill, she was a good boss and she’d been supportive after his mother had died of cancer the previous year, and later when he’d split with his partner.

  “Thought it better to chat here than at the station. The panel made their decision. They’re giving it to Dean.”

  Jamie blew out a hard breath and shot her an incredulous look. “Really, after I handed them Sinclair?”

  She mouthed ‘sorry’.