When the news broke about the incident, the Chief Constable was hard pressed to justify his position. He made it clear that the on-going investigation prevented key facts from being revealed, at this time.
He emphatically denied that a Detective Inspector was involved in any way. Someone had impersonated a police officer, but this was a ruse and the man escaped from the scene.
The head of the gang, now identified as a former KGB Officer turned criminal, had also escaped. His men had used military grade weaponry, including grenades, to attack the arresting officers but, before the Armed Response Unit could react, the criminals had blown themselves up with a grenade.
The Organization was better informed; Sam Leighton briefed Carla in his office, in northern Italy.
“The recent news reports about Malenkov and his gang, who blew themselves up before the police could arrest them, appear to have involved Max.
“Inside reports show the police found Max’s DNA in the skip. Our analysts think Malenkov was lured from hiding by Max who set him up to be arrested by the police. It would take something exceptional to bring Malenkov into the open, something very personal, like revenge.
“According to the police, Max was taking bags of money out of the skip, at gunpoint. He must have planned his escape and knowing the money would be handed back to Malenkov, was using it as bait.
“Intelligence from the last 8 months highlights a series of escalating attacks on drug gangs in the same area. In every case, only money was taken and the person responsible remains unidentified. This all started when Max escaped from hospital. If we look at his predicament, the first thing he would need is shelter and to get that, he would need money. It is possible Max has embarked on some crusade against the drug world to fund his freedom.”
Carla’s eyes watered slightly and her face lit up in a stunning smile. “It’s Max, isn’t it? You know it is Max, it’s just the sort of thing he would do.”
Sam Smiled. “This is why we thought you should know.”