The Accidental Assassin
An exclusive extract from Maurice Perkins’ latest thriller, which is mainly set in Stockport
Thursday 28 September 2023
NEXT HOME GAME: Forest Green – Tuesday 3 October, 7.45pm
NEXT AWAY GAME: Accrington – Saturday 30 September, 7.45pm
Maurice Perkins – also known as Moz, Polly or Mo, depending on where you know him from – was born in 1957, a time when communities were still recovering from the impact of the second world war. His parents were from simple backgrounds but created a family with three young boys, built on love, key principles, and values. Elders on both sides of his family served in the military, either during the war or in national service afterwards, and Moz always listened to many of their tales, before eventually joining the forces himself.
Moz has previously written a trilogy of books reflecting on his life in the Royal Navy, as well as three fictional thrillers: Quest, Revenge, and his most recent tale, The Accidental Assassin, a dark comedy thriller that will have you laughing and cringing in equal measures as it races towards its final climax.
This latest book features a misguided hapless loser with questionable morals, who comes to the attention of a ruthless serial killer on a murder spree. Hunting them is an aging detective nearing the end of his career, an investigative journalist chasing a payday and a young ambitious uniformed officer.
The Accidental Assassin is mainly based in Stockport, and we’ve got an exclusive extract for you to enjoy today, with a chapter based on a pre-match police operation ahead of a County home game with Bradford.
Finally, a big thank you to Rob from Complete Recovery Physiotherapy for sponsoring today’s edition. If you’re currently in need of any physiotherapy services, to improve your health, mobility or independence, give Rob a call on 07960 309355 or email hello@crphysio.co.uk.
Enjoy today’s issue.
Des Junior
Pre-Football Briefing, Lee Street Police Station, Stockport
It had been a long briefing session in Lee Street Police Station. The Tactical Aid Unit were in town to supplement the Greater Manchester Police uniformed football match response. Now, Charlotte Finn sat in the front passenger seat in one of six of the unit’s armoured police vans heading west in convoy. Charlotte’s role was as local liaison officer.
Each van was designed to carry a team of eight officers, all kitted out with riot helmets, shin, thigh, and forearm Kevlar guards, along with stab vests. Each officer had riot batons, riot shields and pepper sprays.
Despite multiple national reports regularly denying the link between right wing extremists and football fans, local intelligence indicated that some fanatics had infiltrated the Stockport County Ultra gang. Therefore, the Tactical Aid Unit had been mobilised to support J Division officers.
Tonight, County were playing old rivals from across the Pennines, Bradford City. The enmity between the west and the east elements of northern England can trace its way back to the Wars of the Roses. Stockport had sided with the Duke of Lancaster’s forces in the fifteenth century battles, and their modern-day descendants tried to emulate that rivalry under some misguided nationalistic and regionalist pride best known to themselves.
Sadly, none of the chivalry from back then had made its way down the generations. Their planned actions lacked mounted knights or the pomp and circumstance of standards and heraldry. However, the occasions did provide an opportunity for both clubs’ Ultra fans to arrange fights outside the ground and off away in side streets. Inside the ground it was limited to nasty chants and almost humorous crowd anthems. Taunts and songs, thought Charlotte.
It was the job of the Tactical Aid Unit to disrupt any gatherings, prevent public order events from taking place, and make arrests wherever they could. They tried to catch the mutual assailants in the act and directed their attention towards prevention and intervention.
Photographs of the ringleaders from each set of fans had been distributed in easy-flip small ring binders. In an age of technology, the TAU found the flip books handier to flick through than the screen of a smart phone or tablet, particularly in the chaotic situation of a fight or a running brawl or the like.
Charlotte knew the County Ultra leader and several of his acolytes and could recognise them easily. She was clearly less familiar with the Bradford gang. Therefore, the flip books could be invaluable later.
As the convoy approached Wellington Road South, it split in half with three vans turning south along the A6 to investigate the area around the college. It was being refurbished along with some new build under construction and together it created a warren of shuttered off sites that would suit the clandestine operations of the two gangs of Ultras, yet still be within walking distance of the football ground and the game therein. The real reason the fans were supposed to be there.
Charlotte was in the leading van of the second group headed for a location not far from the railway station but off the beaten track behind some office buildings. It created a similar environment to the college, but all the buildings there were intact and in pristine condition.
Charlotte already knew a lot of the information in the briefing, so did all the Tactical Aid Unit, but it was news to some of her local colleagues. The Ultras deployed a sophisticated approach to pre-match fights. They maintained contact with each other across the country using the Signalapp, one of the most secure forms of end-to-end encrypted messaging and calling services on the market. Impossible to access or breach its data protection, it even featured self-destruct messages after a set period. Proper Mission Impossible stuff, thought Charlotte.
Pre-match fights were an occasion to blood new and younger members of the gang. They would be matched up against a similar newbie from the other gang. The rest would form a loose ring around them whilst they stood and fought bareknuckle, a testosterone-fuelled affair with the younger ones being goaded by the more experienced and established gang members. Most of whom were in their late forties and early fifties. A second tier of sixty- and seventy-somethings may or may not attend to show their face and be acknowledged or respected by their fellow gang members and foes alike. They would certainly meet in the pubs pre-match to set out the battle strategies for the day ahead, though. Charlotte knew they had sons and in a couple of cases grandsons, now fighting in the gangs. A dynasty of thugs.
Pre-match was a good time to catch the ringleaders, as the post-match fighting would be complicated by other non-Ultra fans, joining in the mass brawls or the Ultras seeking out smaller groups of opposition fans for some easy victories.
It was as they were positioning the vans that Charlotte saw something dark shoot past her at great speed, then she heard a massive bang come from the van behind.
Dismounting from the van quickly, the first thing she could see was Tony, a perplexed-looking colleague also in the role of liaison officer, standing in the road holding onto a severely dented van door. Looking across the road, she saw a sprawled figure lay in a crumpled heap next to an electric scooter on its side on the footpath. It didn’t take rocket science to work out that the scooter, without any lights on, hadn’t been seen by her colleague exiting his seat.
She quickly stepped across the road to check on the condition of the stealth scooterist.
Follow Moz on Twitter - @MozPerkins
Click here for Maurice’s page on Amazon, where all six of his books are available to purchase.
Do something about those aches and pains you’ve been struggling with
Most County fans have had a nasty headache in recent years, watching part-time village teams turning us over at Edgeley Park every fortnight, but thankfully a spoonful of Stotty and an injection of Chally seem to have got rid of those symptoms.
You might still be suffering with certain aches and pains, though. Whether it’s back pain, or an aching neck, or even an old knee injury troubling you from your playing days, why not book in with Rob for a first assessment at Complete Recovery Physiotherapy.
For just £49 you can book a first appointment with Rob at his clinic in Hazel Grove, which includes a 60-minute assessment and treatment to provide you with an efficient and comprehensive diagnosis to identify the root cause of your issue. After that, Rob can create a tailored treatment plan personalised to fit your specific needs. With over 10 years of experience, you can rely on Rob’s skills and knowledge to deliver the best possible care and treatment for your benefit.
Visit crphysio.co.uk for further details.
Photo of the day
Glanford Park, Scunthorpe
County might never play at Scunthorpe’s Glanford Park ground again. It’s a ground we’ve never won at, as our last victory in Scunthorpe, way back in 1986-87, was at their former Old Show Ground.
Scunny’s former chairman is a tosser, and so is their current one, and between them they’ve destroyed the club. They’ve just announced they’ll be leaving Glanford Park after their next game and will play at Gainsborough Trinity for the foreseeable (even though Gainsborough have since responded by saying they haven’t agreed to anything). Scunny’s chairman has pulled out all funding, some of the directors have resigned, and this basically looks like the end of the club, who were in the Championship not that long ago.
Hopefully they can find a solution, but it looks like all avenues have been exhausted.
Today in SK
🍽 Food and drink
Lite bite meal deal at The Friary (SK3). Cod or haddock, served with chips, and a side of peas, curry or gravy. Plus tea or coffee. £9.95. 11.30am - 7.30pm.
Taster Thursday at TRUNK (SK7). Three tapas dishes and a glass of sangria for £20 from 5pm. Call 0161 222 9260 to book a table, and mention “The Scarf My Father Wore” to receive a 15% discount off the normal tapas menu.
🎶 Free jukebox
The Nelson Tavern (SK1). From 6.30pm.
🎱 Free pool
The George & Dragon (SK7). 6pm - 9pm.
🎵 Music
80s Night at Bask (SK1). 8pm. Free entry.
❓ Quiz and Curry Night
The Dog & Partridge (SK2) are hosting their first ever Quiz and Curry Night this evening. Curries are served from 7pm with the quiz starting at 8pm. Just £8.50 per person for the curry, served with pilau rice and naan bread. Entry to the quiz is £1. To book a table, call 0161 483 9664.
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