by KERRY BARNES
Unsure whether to tell her, yet reluctant to argue, Jaguar replied, ‘It ends in 666!’
‘Ha, very apt.’
She pointed the phone at the young guy lying in a pool of blood and took the first photo.
‘No, please. When he sees that he’ll know we didn’t finish the job and he’ll kill my family.’
‘No, he won’t because there’ll be no point. You lie on the floor too.’
Within a few minutes, even with a few tuts and curses from Peto, she managed to stage the restaurant to look like a mass killing – to the utter amazement of her own men.
‘I want to meet the Governor, so I’m gonna draw the fucker in.’
CHAPTER TWELVE
Jackie returned from the hospital after spending just one night there, only to find that Mike had rifled through her bag and removed her secret stash of drugs. After throwing a hissy fit, screaming obscenities, Mike dragged her upstairs, threw her into the spare room, and locked the door. No matter how much she begged and pleaded, he ignored her.
She’d heard how people coming down from drugs had experienced cold turkey, but she never imagined it to be so hard. Her face throbbed continuously, and yet all Mike would give her were paracetamol and ibuprofen, along with the antibiotics. The second night was by far the worst of the beginning of a painful nightmare. Her mind was not her own; nothing that filled her brain was of her own doing. Nightmares swanned in and out, and yet she was wide awake and literally climbing the walls. Feeling ants nesting in her bones and centipedes gnawing at her brain, they drove her mad. She cried and screamed, panicked, and then collapsed. It was overwhelming and frightening. And yet there was nothing she could do to stop it. Her arms didn’t have the strength to smash down the door. Her body was wet with sweat, and her stomach steadily heaved and retched.
Curled in a ball against the wall, she stared at the piss pot, and for a moment, she wondered if she drank it, it would kill her, but her brain was too befuddled to work that one out. The windows were locked shut so she couldn’t even jump out; also, the glazing was made from toughened glass, so the panes were too hard to smash, but she wasn’t surprised because Mike had the best of everything.
She couldn’t even see what her face looked like because he had removed all the mirrors, so she was unable to use the glass to do damage to him or herself. Suddenly, she heard the front door slam shut. He was off again to visit their precious son; she knew he wouldn’t be back for hours. Nothing had changed much; he still fussed over the boy. She would have sat down and made a plan to escape or rob Mike blind; however, try as she might, her mind just drifted off to another topic or revisited dark places from the past. She closed her eyes and wished for sleep, prayed even that her brain would switch off and leave her in peace, if only for a few minutes.
***
As soon as Mike arrived on the ward, he saw the back of a suited man hovering outside Ricky’s room. He hurried along the corridor to see who it was. A nurse bade him good morning, but he was not in a talkative mood. In fact, Mike had hardly said two words to anyone except the doctor to find out how his son was doing. It was breaking his heart to see Ricky wired up to everything except the kitchen sink. No sooner had he reached the private room than the suited man turned around.
Mike sighed. ‘I wondered who you were.’
‘I need to talk with you, Mr Regan.’
Mike could see he was washed out; the bristly facial growth and dishevelled hair spoke volumes about the man’s state of mind.
‘I’m sorry, Mr Stoneham, about your niece.’ His words sounded compassionate and genuine.
Stoneham nodded. ‘She was just a kid really, a little bit of a rebel, but a good kid, nonetheless. I am still in a state of shock.’ He was clearly exasperated as he looked up at Mike. ‘I remember that meeting we had in the prison and you said to me, “I’m not like you.” Do you remember?’
Mike looked at his son’s fragile body, the machines rhythmically forcing his chest up and down. ‘Yeah, I do remember. I told you, ya wouldn’t believe in an eye for an eye.’
Stoneham nodded. ‘Yes, that’s exactly what you said, but you, Mr Regan, are wrong. I loved my niece very much, and I want whoever . . . ’ He choked on his words, cleared his throat, before he tried again. ‘I want whoever did this to suffer, and I mean to be tortured and murdered. If I were man enough, I would do it myself, but, as you know, I am not cut out for it.’
Mike leaned against the doorframe and gazed at his son. ‘We both want the same thing, and I am cut out for it. No one hurts my boy and lives to tell the tale. Oh . . . ’ He turned to face Stoneham. ‘I’ll torture them, every fucking day, until they die of starvation.’
‘How is he doing? Do the doctors think he will make a full recovery?’
‘Only time will tell. At least I have hope, eh? I’m so sorry about Kendall. It must be bloody hard for the family. I know, because this is killing me.’ He pointed to his son.
‘Lowry told me your son had only just started dating Kendall. Is that correct?’
‘Yeah, she was his first one ever. He must have liked her a lot. He texted her all the time until they met up again.’
Stoneham swallowed hard to hold back the lump in his throat. ‘She had only just moved into that flat. She and her mother never really got on although my sister will have you believe otherwise. Still, the poor woman no doubt will be heartbroken and full of guilt. She will blame herself for Kendall’s death.’
‘I can understand how she feels. I’m also consumed by that ugly emotion. I believe whoever did this had something to do with that gang we’re after. Christ, I wished I’d never taken you up on your offer.’
Stoneham found himself patting Mike’s back. ‘I know, and that’s why I’m here. I’ve made a terrible mistake, one that will live with me forever. I thought the idea was good at the time. A villain with a reputation who could in some way put the fear of God into these gangs and get the streets under control. I saw it in a film once.’
Mike’s eyes were still focused on his son. ‘If it’s any consolation, I thought the job would be easy, coming down on a few suppliers and dealers to get a message to the Faces behind this drugs racket. Blimey, this has to be a first, me agreeing with the law. You’re right, though. This gang is out of control. They don’t play by the rules. The Devil’s rules maybe, but there ain’t any well-known Faces this side of the Thames that have done anything close to the crimes this lot are committing. Jesus. Raping a young woman and bashing a kid with a fucking bag over his head, what’s that all about? They’re cowardly in that sense. Do you have any CCTV footage at all?’
Stoneham sighed. ‘Yes, we do, actually, but all it tells us is there was a black BMW in the vicinity. The number plates were fake and the windows were tinted. The last camera in the Square only caught the back of the men.’
‘And what do they look like?’
Stoneham felt vomit rise to the back of his throat. His ears tingled every time he thought of the two men cruelly abusing his niece. ‘Roughly six foot three to four tall . . . ’ He paused. ‘Approaching your size.’
Mike pushed himself away from the doorframe. ‘My size? Well, that narrows things down. I don’t meet many men similar in size to me.’
‘No, I pulled out the best photo analysis team to examine the evidence, but all they could see was the footwear. One had the latest Nike trainers only sold in Footlocker, and the other guy had Timberlands, a size eleven. One had a black hat, which covered his ears, but we only had a side profile. He wore a long Crombie-type coat. The other man had a hoodie on, but we don’t know the make. The other issue we had was the photos were obscured by the rain. It was torrential. We tried to identify any markings on the car, but the CCTV footage was blurry with a fast-moving object. I tried my best, and I’m not giving up. And you, Mr Regan?’
‘Me . . . I will find these men, and well, you know what I’m gonna do.’ He gave a false laugh. ‘It was a bit of a game to start with, but things have changed. I’m goi
ng to do things my way from now on. Not rely on your leads but concentrate on me own. And, trust me, you’d better ensure every one of your men looks the other way ’cos what I will do won’t be pretty.’
‘Between you and me, I’m hell-bent on seeing them dead. I don’t want them arrested and tried. I want them . . . well, you can imagine what I want. But, if it’s okay with you, I will find out as much as I can and give you every last bit of information we have. I only ask one thing in return.’
Mike stared ahead. ‘And what would that be?’
Stoneham was in awe of the man’s calm and yet intimidating demeanour. ‘Tell me how you killed them. I want to know how they suffered.’
‘I understand fully. You have my word because I’ve been in your shoes many moons ago, and I wanted those details too. In fact, I wanted every last gory one of them.’
Mike’s sharp words sent a chill up Stoneham’s spine.
‘You never mentioned that the MP is your sister.’
Stoneham suddenly felt a little hot under the collar. ‘No. We tend to keep our relationship private. It causes problems in our line of work, otherwise.’
Mike scoffed. ‘You mean you don’t want the public to know that you’ll line each other’s pockets. Who better to have than the Police Commissioner backing her every decision regarding the streets?’
Stoneham was about to deny that statement but thought better of it. He’d learned now that the Mike Regans of this world weren’t easily fobbed off with bullshit.
‘Yes, that’s right. Does that give you a different impression of me?’
Mike didn’t answer right away. He shook his head and sighed. ‘I really don’t give a shit if you’re the Prime Minister’s brother. We all have a job to do, whether we’re on the same side or not. It’s about the rules – moral rules and respect. Today, you’ve come to see my son, out of respect, regardless of the fact that we’re on opposite sides in everything else in our lives. And here we are united, because when it comes down to it, we’re all still human, and that, my friend, is where animal instinct takes over. The world of rights and wrongs merges into one, when our loved ones get fucking hurt.’
Stoneham looked down at the floor. ‘My father was spot-on about you. You are a law unto yourself, but a just law in my eyes.’
‘Life gives us lemons. We can make lemonade or use it to burn the eyes of our enemy. It’s our choice.’
‘I have to go, but when Ricky is well enough to speak, would you ask him if my niece was alive when they . . . ?’ His words trailed off.
Mike suddenly took his eyes away from Ricky and turned to see the pain on the Commissioner’s face. He grabbed his arm. ‘I will, and, trust me, I’ll spend my life hunting those bastards down.’
Once Stoneham had left, Mike sat by his son’s side, looking at every bruise and cut and imagining him being beaten by two men the same size as himself. The doctor’s voice made him jump, which was so unlike him.
‘I’m sorry, Mr Regan, I didn’t mean to startle you.’
It was Doctor Redwood, the neurological surgeon who had operated on Ricky. He was a middle-aged, fit-looking man with friendly eyes. ‘We have run more tests. It seems the swelling is slowly going down, but I have to be fair and warn you that he may have sustained some brain damage. Until he is fully conscious, we won’t know exactly. Tomorrow, we will look to take him off the drugs that are keeping him asleep. This will be a critical time. Would you like to be here?’
Mike felt his throat swelling and his mouth seemingly clamming up. He nodded and brushed away a tear.
Redwood patted his shoulder. ‘We are doing our best and Ricky is a fighter.’
As soon as the doctor left the room, Mike flopped his head on the mattress beside Ricky’s hand and sobbed his heart out. The tears wouldn’t stop until he felt a pair of soft, warm hands wrap around his neck. ‘Come on, Son. You’re exhausted. I can take over for a while. Please go home and get some rest.’
Mike dragged his head away and looked up at his mother. ‘He may be brain-damaged, Mum.’
Gloria was dressed in her elegant Chanel suit. She was a short woman with a big heart, unless, of course, you crossed her the wrong way. ‘Now, you listen to me, Mikey Regan. Our boy’s a strong lad. He’ll recover just fine, you wait and see.’
She pulled him up from the seat. ‘Now then, you get off home. Besides, if you leave that rotten bitch for too long, she may just start wrecking your home. Christ, as if you ain’t got enough to worry about. I knew it was a bad idea, your father taking her to yours. He should have let her die in her own shit pit.’
‘Mum, it’s done. She’s at mine, getting cleaned up. Ricky may want to see her when he comes round. I would want to see my mum.’
‘Yeah, well, she ain’t no proper mother, that one. She’s lower than a worm’s tit and shouldn’t even have the steam of that boy’s piss, if you ask me. And as for our Zara, Gawd love her, I’d have done the same. The bitch deserved a bashing. Mark my words, Mike, she’s one shit-stirring cow. And, by the way, I know Zara. I bet you, Jackie did or said something to cause that backhander. Zara wouldn’t go around acting like that for no reason.’
Mike stood and accepted the lecture. Far be it for him to stop his mother when she was in full flow. Little in stature she may be, but a pushover she definitely wasn’t.
‘Mum, I don’t blame Zara. I just wish she’d answer my calls. I can only imagine what she thought, walking into my house with Jackie half-naked in one of my shirts. And that’s the second time in just a few weeks that this has happened to me, as far as Zara is concerned. What must she bleedin’ think, eh?’
Gloria gasped. ‘Surely, she wouldn’t think you would’ve . . . well, you know, with her, the bitch?’
‘I dunno, Mum. I ain’t sure of much these days except staying positive that my boy will get better.’
***
By the time Mike reached home, Jackie was shaking violently and relentlessly. He stared at her huddled form in the corner, like a deranged mouse, and wondered what he should do. Yet as much as she looked in a right state, with her face still puffy and the deep gash still raw, his mind kept wandering back to Ricky, so he closed the door, locked it, and left. Jackie’s injuries were nothing in comparison to his son’s. She would heal and would probably be as mouthy as before, but what if Ricky was left mentally damaged?
With his mind all over the place, he didn’t hear someone let themselves in, but as soon as he reached the kitchen, he jumped for the second time that day. It was Eric. He looked his brother over and noticed he was bigger than ever, obviously spending time at the gym, and he seemed so at ease. That’s what bothered him. He didn’t look tired and anxious like his family or his mates in the firm. Everyone else was worried sick about Ricky and yet Eric didn’t appear concerned. The hairs on the back of his neck went up. It seemed that every time he laid eyes on Eric, his brother wound him up. Perhaps he was expecting too much.
‘So, what brings you here?’ he asked, in a flat tone.
‘I thought you might need some company. How are you doing, Bro? You look worn out, mate.’
Even Eric’s jocular tone pissed him off. ‘Tell me, Eric, why is it that you just pop up when it suits you, eh? You’re like some kind of god. As if I’m gonna be grateful that you’ve decided to grace me with your presence. We’re all taking shifts to be with Ricky. I’ve got the lads running around the streets all desperate to find out who’s responsible for beating the life outta my boy. Then, there’s you, just swanning around, doing your own thing. No one can call you. No one even knows where you are—’
‘Hold on a minute, Mike. I do have me own business to run, you know. You didn’t have me back on your firm, did you, so what am I supposed to do?’
Mike studied his brother’s clean-shaven face. For a second, he wanted to thump him, but he paused and took stock. ‘So, what exactly is your business, Eric, eh?’
Eric frowned. ‘Just bits and pieces. I have my fingers in many pies.’
‘You know what, Eric? I hardly know you anymore. I thought you were an upfront man, but you’re not. Ya sneak around and turn up when it suits you.’
‘Well, Mike, I guess I learned that from you. But, anyway, as I said, I ain’t part of the firm. You and the lads are on some kind of mission and haven’t included me, so why does my business interest you? I thought when we spoke on that prison visit and you said I was still part of the firm, you actually meant it. Did you?’
Mike was chewing his lip and flaring his nostrils. As much as Eric was his brother, and once upon a time they’d been very close, deep down he really hadn’t forgiven him for failing to visit him for twelve years while he was in prison, when he’d needed him most.
‘I did want you back on the firm, but it’s not just me that needs to trust you, it’s the lads too. Staffie and Willie feel a little unsure of you. Lou hasn’t said much at all, but I know he doesn’t feel you’re kosher. So, if you were man enough, you would prove to us you were on our side. Yet, for some reason, you strut around as if ya shit don’t stink. Even at that party, I could see you looking down your nose at me. Anyway, I don’t give a fuck right now.’
As his eyes drifted to the floor, he noticed the footwear on Eric’s feet – new Nike trainers. His heart suddenly beat faster as the adrenaline surged around his body. Then he looked up and noticed the hooded tracksuit top. Surely not? Not his brother. Holding in his temper, he had to think before he asked the damning question. ‘What time did you leave the other night after the boxing?’
Eric screwed his face up. ‘What?’ His frown deepened as he watched Mike’s face tighten. He didn’t like that look; in fact, it frightened him. The death glare, he called it. ‘Um, about the same time as the others. Why? What’s this all about?’
‘Nah, you never. You went out and came back.’
Eric shuffled, nervously. ‘Yeah, I did, but I only went out to get some fags. Why? What are you insinuating?’
‘When did you start wearing fucking Nike trainers and fucking hoodies?’ grilled Mike, as he pointed an accusing finger.