Rafferty stood on a street corner a few feet from the Yard entrance. He rubbed his

face as he thought about what he could do for the rest of his life.

He had been questioned by a new detective constable for hours. The man wanted to

know everything he had done in the last two days. He stuck with sleeping and

drinking off his depression after finding out that Corklin was dead.

The murdered man was the only one who could clear his reputation.

Now he stood on the corner and wondered what he was going to do next. He doubted

Sir Laurence was going to keep him on.

He had taken Mick Brown, but his identity had been revealed to Inspector Hawley

and the remains of the Brown Gang. Killing Brown had been enough of a reason for

them to come calling, but knowing he was a masked vigilante outside the law would

just add fuel to the fire.

A cab rolled up to the corner. He frowned as the passenger leaned over. Sir Laurence

gestured for him to get in.

Rafferty slid in the back seat. He frowned at the glass between them and the driver.

“It’s for his protection,” said Sir Laurence. “Are you reinstated?”

“No,” said Rafferty. “The Yard has dozens of questions about my involvement in all

this.”

“I know,” said Sir Laurence. “I’m afraid I can’t push from my office to get you

rehired. The other job is still open.”

“So you want me to play dress up and chase down thugs in the night?,” said Rafferty.

“Seizing Mr. Brown’s books have given us enough information to look at his partners

through legal means,” said Sir Laurence. “I imagine that some of the dock criminals

will move around as we clear one gang up for another to take its place.”

“And you want me to harass these growing gangs?,” asked Rafferty.

“I would prefer surgical strikes where you cut away the parts we’re interested in,”

said Sir Laurence. “I expect things will go worse than that.”

“What about Hawley?,” asked Rafferty.

“I talked to the Inspector,” said Sir Laurence. “He has been read in to the public face

of the organization. He knows he is not to talk to anyone until he is released.”

“When will that happen?,” said Rafferty.

“Possibly never,” said Sir Laurence. “The war we’re undertaking will possibly create

a hole in the power structures of Europe that the Commandoes will be needed long

after our lifetimes are over.”

“So we’ll be fighting another world war,” said Rafferty.

“We’ll be fighting a different sort of war,” said the knight. “We’ll be fighting in the

shadows to do things that no other force could hope to do. More public branches will

be moving to help the Allied Command in planning and execution behind enemy

lines.”

“And we will be helping the war effort by keeping problems here at home down,”

said Rafferty.

“There won’t be any glory in it,” said Sir Laurence. “You already knew that when you

were assigned to look into the Brown Gang. The mask is more important than the

man.”

“Who was the man who saved my life outside of the Unicorn?,” said Rafferty.

“You don’t need to know that,” said Sir Laurence. “I’m recruiting more Commandoes

from across the commonwealth. You’re the first, but not the last.”

“What’s next?,” said Rafferty.

“I’m going to drop you off,” said Sir Laurence. “Then you are to take a week to think

about things. Call the Operator when you’re ready. There will be an assignment

waiting on you.”

“The spy network?,” asked Rafferty.

“MI-6 wants to leave it in place,” said Sir Laurence. “Capturing Bones has forced

them to look elsewhere for a contract killer.”

“So we’re going to foil them by letting them try to kill someone and taking out their

shooter?,” said Rafferty.

“No,” said Sir Laurence. “I already have things in place. Enjoy your week. Remember

to file a report about everything you have done. We’ll need it to find other links to

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

Brown’s operations. If you want to keep going after that week, call the Operator.”

Can I ask a personal question?,” said Rafferty.

“Just one,” said Sir Laurence.

“How much of this have you done before?,” Rafferty asked.

“Quite a bit actually,” said Sir Laurence. “The old organization was asked to disband

after the war. The ministry didn’t need us, and wouldn’t for a long time was the

common view. After the Prime Minister met with Hitler, the call went out to

reactivate my old unit. The problem was there was only two of us left. So I was asked

to take on the responsibility to execute the Commando Program’s birth, and I agreed.”

“Thank you,” said Rafferty. “That explains a lot.”

“I’m going to let you out here,” said Sir Laurence. He rapped on the window. “Try

not to do anything stupid before you call.”

The cab pulled to the curb. Rafferty got out, looking around. He had paid sporadic

attention to where they were going. He smiled. He had been put out within walking

distance of the Unicorn. He should have expected that.

He walked down to the pub and stepped inside. The regulars hadn’t started coming

in yet. He had time to get something and head for home before he had to start

answering questions from the crowd.

“Oi!,” said Josie. “It’s the prodigal son returned at last.”

“How’s it going?,” said Rafferty.

“It was an exciting few minutes after the police hauled you off, Jimmy,” said Tolliver.

He poured a glass of beer from a spigot behind the bar. He handed it over.

“I’m sure,” said Rafferty. “It’s been a long boring talk in a featureless room for me

the last day, or so. I would like to have your famous chicken dinner if you don’t

mind.”

“I don’t see why not,” said Tolliver. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing,” said Rafferty. “I have a job offer to consider, but my days as a detective

constable are over as far as the Crown is concerned. You already knew that, so there’s

not much to add to it.”

“Working for that toff we saw you with, Jimmy?,” said Josie.

“I’m thinking about it,” said Rafferty. “It’s investigative work, it pays, and it’s

something I’m good at.”

“Finding bad apples is a knack you have,” said Tolliver. He poured himself a shot of

whiskey. He sipped it. “What happens to the neighborhood?”

“Nothing,” said Rafferty. “Apparently I will have time off so I can keep an eye on

things around here, and the old place. I don’t know what I will be doing next, but it

won’t be anything rougher than what I was doing for the Yard.”

“How many times you get shot at working for the peelers, Jimmy?,” said Tolliver.

“Maybe you should consider things before you jump into them.”

“I still have to pay the rent,” said Rafferty. “Not all of us are a rich landlord,

restauranteur, and wine dealer with an interest in exotic cheeses.”

“You said you wouldn’t say anything about the cheeses,” said Tolliver. “That is

between me and my supplier.”

“As long as that supplier wasn’t Mick Brown, you should be okay,” said Rafferty.

“You did for him, chum,” said Tolliver. “You better watch your back when the rest

of those blokes get out of prison. They’ll figure out if they want to start over, or join

someone else, and then some of them will come looking for you.”

“I think that would be a bad idea for them to do,” said Rafferty. “War is coming on,

and settling scores will be a bad idea.”

“Having bad ideas never stopped no one from trying them out,” said Tolliver.

“I can’t argue with that,” said Rafferty. He glanced at his glass. He had drank half

while they were talking. He might need to keep an eye on that. He didn’t want to get

so drunk that his reflexes suffered.

Mick Brown’s gang wasn’t the only people who might want to have a talk with him

now that he wasn’t protected by the Yard’s authority.

The change of living quarters had probably been a good idea even though he had

thought he had been compromised as early as his first night going after Brown.

He had to be more careful dealing with the next target on Fletcher’s list. He didn’t

want them even thinking they could threaten the Unicorn to get to him.

He doubted that Fletcher wanted him to burn everything to the ground.

He was not opposed to the idea. He doubted he would have to be that extreme chasing

down other criminals. Some of them would be reeling from what had happened to

Brown. It would make them easy targets.

He sensed that Fletcher would use him to target criminals known to be operating

against the government in some fashion. It would be up to him to expand the list of

potential targets he might want to chase down.

He wondered if he could get information on criminals that weren’t targeted by the

Commandoes.

Josie appeared with a plate of grilled chicken, brussel sprouts, and a piece of celery.

She put it on the bar with a flourish.

“Looks good,” said Rafferty. He finished his glass of beer. “Can I have another?”

Josie drew more beer from the tap for him. She handed the glass back.

“Thanks,” said Rafferty. “The toff gave me a week to think about the job. I’m going

to call him tomorrow and see what he has for me.”

“Be careful, Jimmy,” said Josie. “Running against the likes of Mick Brown can’t be

good.”

“Don’t worry,” said Rafferty. “I’ll protect the Unicorn with my life.”

“That goes without saying,” said Tolliver.

Rafferty smiled as he dug into his lunch. He felt this was worth fighting for even if

you didn’t know who you were fighting, or why. Fletcher would do what he could for

him but if he needed to be sent out to get something done, it would be to get

something done and not to waste time on a goal that meant nothing.

And Fletcher would help him protect his neighborhood as part of the deal.

He still had to work out where he stood with Hawley, but that could wait until he

knew where he stood with himself first. Most police did vigilante actions sometimes,

but now he had to do it as part of a job. That wouldn’t sit well with the inspector.

He wondered how much Fletcher revealed about his organization. He might have

traded Brown’s records for silence. On the other hand, he might have said be silent,

or it’s to the tower with you. If you were going to abuse the law to set up masked men

to target criminals, you were not going to stop because an inspector said something.

Rafferty finished his food and beer. He smiled as he headed out the door. He needed

to get a nap and then head out into the night life and look around.

Other bad men wanted Brown’s spot. This would be his chance to look at some of

them.

He might have to visit them later as his other face.