Chapter 20: and this is how it ends

There were many arrangements to be made and things to be done if they were going to make a new life in America. Christine had to investigate job opportunities and found a bewildering range of possibilities.

Visas also had to be looked into and transferring to American Colleges was another important task to be undertaken. It was this last that helped Christine narrow down her possible employment too.

Gavin had gone back to Southern Utah University to explore the possibility of transferring there. The administrator had spoken to the sports faculty and they were very keen to secure Gavin. They were so keen that when it became clear the family was thinking of relocating, they helped find a number of local teaching posts that would suit Christine.

Lizzie wasn't a problem with her grades and so long as Fiona did well in her highers, it was very likely that she would be able to choose the course she wanted to major in.

Gavin also helped Christine put her house on the market. They had the house surveyed and fixed a price that would lead to healthy interest in the market. Work was almost completed on the final four units in St Mungo's Heights too and these would need to be sold, along with Gavin's apartment, before they left for the States.

Everything was going well and it looked as if they might be able to fly to America soon after everyone had sat their exams. That would give them some months to settle in America before Gavin and the girls would start College.

Fraser's mobile rang and he checked the caller ID to see who it was. When he recognised Gavin's number, he thumbed the green button to connect the call.

"Can you speak?" Gavin asked.

"Yes, what is it?" Fraser replied.

"We need to meet. There are some things we need to go over," Gavin suggested.

"I still think you should leave this to me," Fraser said.

"That's not going to happen. Anyway, from what you told me, this is not exactly your line of work," Gavin replied.

This was a reference to Fraser's explanation of how he had basically sleepwalked into a life with the Cullen clan and how he detested what he was involved in. Gavin could see that his real father was not a man of violence and that had re-inforced his decision to be involved as the vigilante one last time.

"When can you get away?" Gavin asked him now.

"Now if you want," Fraser replied.

The meeting took place in a MacDonalds on the outskirts of town. Gavin arrived first and snagged a quiet table, ordering a big Mac meal with a large coke. Fraser arrived shortly after and joined his son, ordering the same.

"You know, I'm finding it really bizarre sitting with a man who's my father but virtually a complete stranger," Gavin commented.

"It's not as strange for me, I've watched you grow up after all, admittedly from a distance," Fraser replied.

"We need to do this by the end of May at the latest," Gavin said now, getting down to business.

"Why the timetable?" Fraser asked.

"My family has decided to relocate to the US. There are too many ghosts and possible dangers for us staying here, so we're going to sell up and go," Gavin replied.

He saw Fraser flinch at this news. Fraser felt as if he had been shot and wounded, Gavin's words had come as a complete surprise. He had never contemplated the idea of not being able to see his son. Now, having actually talked with him after all these years, the prospect of Gavin disappearing from his life was a cruel blow.

"I'm sorry to hear that. I mean, I'm sure it's the right thing to do, but I can't pretend that I'll miss seeing you," Fraser said.

"Well, why don't you come too?" Gavin asked.

Fraser laughed. He thought his son was brighter than that. Didn't he know how many times he had tried to leave the clan? Didn't he know that his criminal record would mean that he would never be allowed into the States?

"I don't think that's going to happen, son. There are too many hurdles that I could never get over," Fraser replied sadly.

"Once we've dealt with Cullen you should be able to walk away from the clan," Gavin said now.

"Yes, I suppose you could be right about that, but I'd never get a visa to stay in the US," Fraser replied.

"Fraser Gilchrist might not, but Frank Bruton would," said Gavin.

A large smile lit up his face as he slipped a British passport onto the table. Fraser picked up the passport and opened it up. He was stunned to see his own photo staring back at him and the name Frank Bruton underneath it.

"That's why you wanted the photo?" Fraser asked.

On the night they had met some weeks ago, Gavin had asked Fraser if he could take one of the pictures of him as a keepsake. Gavin had palmed the photo when he had dropped it in George's apartment, swapping Fraser's picture for his own before George endorsed the back.

He had repeated his trick of researching someone who had died at a young age, but this time he had gone much further back to find someone roughly Fraser's age.

"It's a genuine passport, not a forgery," Gavin advised Fraser.

"You seem to be a very resourceful young man. I thought a second ago that you weren't as bright as you looked, but I can see there's no problem with your ability to think things through," Fraser said quietly.

Gavin could see what he thought were tears fighting their way to Fraser's eyes.

Fraser was lost for words. This was what he had wanted for more years than he could remember - a chance to break free from his criminal life, a chance to start over again and could he dare hope - a chance to be with his son?

"I'm also hoping your expertise will help in moving this," Gavin said next.

He pushed a number of bankbooks across the table. These were the books he had taken from Tilbury's safe and he was sure no one knew about the existence of the accounts. He explained to Fraser what they were.

"But there's more than 9million pounds here!" Fraser said, stunned.

"We might need a little spending money until we can get established in the US," Gavin laughed.

"What about your stepmother and your sister? How are they going to react to a long lost father suddenly appearing out of the blue?" Fraser asked.

It seemed just too good to be true and he was searching for the fly in the ointment.

"I need to deal with that, but I don't think it will be a huge problem. I mean, you don't need to stay with us like a family - just live close enough so we can get to know each other," Gavin replied.

Fraser could see the sense in that.

"Now, back to our plans for Cullen and O'Reilly," Gavin said.

He ran through his plan for dealing with the two gang leaders who had raped his mother. It was simple, but Fraser could see that it would work just fine. He was impressed again by how thorough his son was in his preparation and planning. The effectiveness of the vigilante wasn't such a wonder to him anymore.

"Where did this vigilante thing come from anyway?" Fraser asked.

"From your books of course, you know, the Sacketts," Gavin laughed.

"Well you've got that all wrong! The Sacketts wouldn't have tolerated vigilantes, they supported the law. It was only when they were on the frontier that they fought fire with fire, when there were no lawmen about," Fraser said.

"Well, isn't that what I've been doing?" Gavin asked.

Fraser thought about that for a second before he smiled.

"I suppose it is, the police certainly aren't very effective as lawmen when it comes to the Glasgow gangs."

Christine's house was sold by the end of January, netting her two hundred and forty thousand pounds. Gavin had suggested putting her personal things in storage, but giving up her furnishings in favour of buying everything new in America.

By mid-February all of the remaining apartments had also been sold and a buyer lined up for Gavin's, once they were ready to move. The paperwork had all been completed satisfactorily for a permanent move to the US and everything was good to go. Only phase three of Gavin's plan remained to be put into effect.

"Sean, it's Fraser Gilchrist. Listen, Rab wants to meet," Fraser spoke into his mobile.

"To talk about what?" Sean asked, suspiciously.

"I think he's planning a move on Turnbull. He's been saying there's one clan too many in Glasgow, that we keep falling over each other," Fraser replied.

Gavin had emphasised that they would need to use something that would be irresistible to the clan leaders if they were to have any chance of drawing them out. His bait was greed, pure and simple, greed. The carrot of additional territory, of additional income, was what was being dangled in front of them.

Fraser almost held his breath waiting to see if Sean would bite.

"Where and when?" Sean asked.

Fraser gave the details.

"One goon, no more," Fraser told him.

"Sean O'Reilly phoned," Fraser told Cullen.

"What did the little bastard want?" Cullen growled.

"He wants a meet to discuss making a move on Turnbull," Fraser dangled the bait once more.

Cullen's expression changed as he was clearly thinking about the additional riches that could be gathered with one clan less in Glasgow.

"Where and when? Rab asked.

Fraser drove up to the gates of Cullen's main base. He parked the car and went into the house to make sure Rab was ready for their meeting.

"Where are you and the boss off to?" Alex asked Fraser.

"I just got a tip-off about the vigilante, we're going to meet with one of the coppers we have on the payroll," Fraser replied.

Cullen was ready and he followed Fraser back out to the car, taking his place in the passenger seat of the silver Mercedes. Fraser re-took his position in the driver's seat and pulled the car away from the house.

The drive was made in silence. Cullen brooded on what O'Reilly was going to offer him for a joint attack on the Turnbull gang and more importantly, what he himself was willing to settle for.

Twenty minutes later, Fraser pulled the Mercedes into another derelict warehouse. O'Reilly hadn't arrived as yet and Fraser parked the Merc up and they waited. Minutes later another set of headlights appeared at the opposite end of the building.

"Maybe best to leave the car here and walk towards the middle," Fraser suggested.

He was answered by a grunt from Cullen, but the clan boss followed him when he exited the car. In the distance they could see O'Reilly and one of his gang members exit their car and begin to walk towards them.

In the trunk of the Mercedes, Gavin quickly loosened the wire he had used to keep it closed and raised it just far enough to allow himself to slip out onto the floor of the warehouse. He was dressed all in black and had his ski mask in place. He used the deep shadows of the warehouse and his own skills to glide fluidly into the position he had chosen for himself.

"How are you, Sean?" Cullen barked.

"Well, Rab, I'm doing well," O'Reilly replied.

Before anyone could say anything else and expose the ruse that Fraser had used to get them here, Gavin exploded into action. He covered the last ten yards in the blink of an eye and Sean O'Reilly's goon was falling in a heap from a blow to the back of his head before anyone could react.

Fraser had been expecting Gavin's appearance, but even he was shocked at the sheer speed and efficiency with which his son moved.

With the goon on the floor, Gavin used one of his martial arts techniques to control the situation. He let loose a paralysing Qi scream of FREEZE!, the 'life-force' coming from his very centre. Fraser found himself as startled as Cullen and O'Reilly and before any of them could move, Gavin had them covered with the heavy Browning.

"Well what do we have here?" Gavin asked rhetorically.

"Rab Cullen, Sean O'Reilly and Fraser Gilchrist. I think the only one missing is Steve Miller. Oh! Stupid me, of course I've already killed Steve! Now, what could you three and Steve Miller all have in common?"

Gavin stared at both Cullen and O'Reilly but got no response. To give them their due, Rab and Sean weren't panicking.

"Oh, I know - Nora MacSween! Yes, that's right, you all knew Nora MacSween didn't you?

"No comment gentlemen?

"When I say 'knew' Nora MacSween I did mean of course in the biblical sense."

Gavin watched as both Cullen and O'Reilly glanced furtively at Fraser.

"Fraser, search them both please and remove any weapons they might have. Don't get between them and me, I want to have a clear target at all times in case these two fine gentlemen decide to do something stupid," said Gavin.