Patrick Smith is at rock bottom. A much-needed haircut leads him into a world of chaos when a shooting erupts in the Turkish barber shop. In a moment of panic, he grabs two bags filled with cash, drugs, and weapons before fleeing the scene. Now, he's on the run.
The police are on a man’s trail, tracing the aftermath of a deadly crime scene, but who is the man that fled? The police have their own issues. A secret large-scale international investigation may be compromised. Corruption may be a risk.
Meanwhile, a ruthless gang wants their stash back. JoJo Okere is dispatched by the gang to find out what happened. Find out who has been cheating the organisation and deal with them. Is it Jonathan Pinter, the finance man who has been stealing from the gang? What does the technical team in an Italian data centre know?
With a mysterious USB drive and a bitcoin wallet in his possession, Patrick must navigate the dangerous underbelly of crime and deception. Can he survive the hunt, or will he become the next victim?
Genre: FICTION / CrimeRecently released
A wet Monday followed a wet, dreary weekend. It was not the first Monday or weekend like that. Manchester was living up to its reputation, no matter how unfair that depiction was.
This particular Monday morning, the day before his scheduled interview, found Patrick Smith prowling the main and side streets not far from his cold flat in search of a barber shop. As usual, he was surprised how many of those there were alongside the charity shops, betting emporiums, vape dispensaries, and nail bars. There were some fast-food takeaway places. Perhaps they were the ones offering the jobs he’d not applied for. The outlets were closed in the morning, and their operating hours were unclear. Patrick had already passed two small supermarkets, both express versions of larger stores. He didn't dare venture inside.
Over the weekend, Patrick had dared to risk the corner shop nearest his flat. He could not go in again. The high-stacked shelves and limited staff were too tempting. It was unlikely that he could prepare anything, even if he pilfered the raw ingredients. He needed power, which required credit, and if he had money to purchase that credit, he could buy the food. He would have to be selective in his theft attempts. He didn't try.
Patrick did want to get out of the rain and into somewhere warmer. He could and probably would try the library later. For the food shops, he feared that his stomach rumbling would result in a shoplifting attempt. He hadn’t succumbed to criminality. He was determined not to. He mustn’t stop his tasks for the day to think about the growling of his stomach. At least the water was still running in his flat. Even if it was only cold. He hurried past the enticements of ‘buy one get one free’ and the promise of cheaper prices with a loyalty card. Not much use when he couldn’t even afford the cheaper price.
