‘Peg’s Leg’s dead, eh?’
‘He’s shot,’ Claudia said, ‘It’s Max who needs the medics. I think he’s having a heart attack.’
‘So where’s your boy?’ Wynona asked.
Claudia ventured down the stairs, stopping halfway. ‘I don’t know, but he’s not in the house.’
Ben pushed past the girl, heading down the wide staircase to the foyer and the old, black phone sitting on the glass table against the left wall. He looked at the dial on the phone and smiled at Claudia. ‘Old school, eh?’ He inserted his finger into the nine and dialed. It clicked back in place and he had to wait before he could choose another number. Treble nine seemed such an archaic number for such a slow process.
‘He’s got to be with the Peg Leg’s soldiers,’ Claudia said.
She stumbled in her descent, ready to bolt for the front door. Wynona caught and held her.
‘We can’t go running into soldiers with weapons. They’re Peg Leg’s men and they’ll shoot.’ She pushed her onto the staircase, forcing her to sit. She squatted before the girl. ‘Me and Ben will get your boy. Maybe you should get upstairs and look after your father.’
‘Yeah. Right. They got guns up there.’
‘Then stay here.’
Wynona smiled at Ben playing with the ding on the phone. ‘Come on, hero, let’s go find this boy.’
‘And where do you suppose he’ll be? He isn’t in the house.’ He turned to Claudia. ‘You’ve checked the second floor and attic?’
She nodded. ‘He must be in the jeep with the other soldiers. They had two jeeps, didn’t they?’
‘But where’s the jeep?’
‘We didn’t see jeeps out front,’ Ben said. He moved toward the front door. ‘But they must’ve come back here. Or Barney’s got them hidden.’
‘Come on,’ Wynona said. ‘I’ve got my bike, so let’s get moving. I know where Barney lives. And he may have the wee tyke locked up. The station is closed, but it wouldn’t surprise me if that’s where your child is hidden. The Sarge likes the Barney Boy, so he’s probably got access.’
‘My Lucas in a jail cell.’
‘You said he wasn’t,’ Ben said.
‘It was a guess, shit shoot me.’ Wynona shook her head. ‘Come on. Let’s go.’
Wynona whistled and Wolf exited the front room. They ran for the gate, leaving Claudia at the door, the nurses and children standing at her back. The found a jeep sat on the curb three houses up the road. Its tail lights shone and smoke exited both front windows. A gruesome oak, its branches low, offered the vehicle cover. Wynona pointed at the vehicle, but Ben grabbed her arm.
‘Over there,’ he said.
Another jeep sat on the opposite side of the road and looked empty. ‘Well, we’ve got a problem. Which jeep?’
‘Do you think the third soldier’s in with the other two sharing a cigarette. That don’t smell like a regular brand of tobacco. I reckon they’re smoking something dodgy, eh? They think this job is all over.’
‘So is Lucas in the empty jeep or locked up.’
‘What are you waiting for,’ Claudia called out. ‘Are the jeeps out there?’
Ben turned to Claudia and shushed her with a hand signal. ‘I’ll take the empty jeep,’ Ben said. ‘Just give me a shout if they spot me, eh?’
Ben ran across the street until he found shadow. He kept close to the house fences, grateful for the deep, low cloud cover and his dark clothing. He kept his head down and his hood low trying to walk casual and yet not attract attention. As he drew level with the first jeep he spotted two soldiers sat in the front seats. The fat soldier held what looked like a joint, savoring the flavor of the smoke slowly leaving his mouth. The tall soldier appeared to be sleeping with his head flat to the passenger window. The back seat was too dark to reveal a third body.
The second jeep sat two cars directly ahead of him with its back to his advance. No sound to the engine or lights shining. Ben kept hidden in the dark of the trees lining the yards. At its back bumper, he chanced a look in the back seat. A small body lay with his head resting against the door and dirty white trainers kicking gently on the seat. His hands were clasped out front with tape wrapped about his wrists. Another thick piece of tape covered his mouth.
Ben tried the door. Locked. He jerked his hand away, feeling the car move, the old jeep seats creaking. He stopped, waiting for a reaction. Nothing stirred inside the car. He crouched low and stepped to the driver’s door convinced Lucas was on his own. He felt for the handle and instinct suggested he draw his gun. With his hand on the handle, gun in hand, he braced himself for the effort to open the door. A gust of wind stirred a piece of litter, fluttering to his right. He shook his head and waited for his heart to beat again.
He flexed his fingers, nodded, and mouthed One –Inhale
Two – Hold
Three – Exhale and open
The door came away and he stood, gun in hand, staring at the soldier. His head rested against the passenger armrest and a gun pointed directly at Ben. As the gun fired Ben shot, a quick press of the trigger and the gun jumped slightly. The flash was bright – the two shots loud in the night.
Ben felt pain. He knew he’d been hit, but he fired again, making sure he took the head shot. The soldier had dropped his gun, his head fallen to the side, smoke clouding his demise. Ben’s left shoulder burnt, the pain radiating across his chest. He reached inside the vehicle, unlocked the back door and ducked low. The child’s face showed at the window as he opened the door. He dragged the child free with his good arm and made him sit by the rear wheel.
Wynona stood by the gnarled oak with her gun raised. The fat soldier stepped out of the first jeep with his handgun low at his side. The passenger door opened, but that soldier met Wynona’s gun. The soldier ran for the second jeep and Ben readied the gun. Before he could act Wolf leapt from the dark and knocked the soldier to the ground. The beast pinned his quarry with his front paws, the snout in the soldiers face waiting for the command to feast.
Ben stepped around the rear, gun raised. ‘Don’t move, eh?’ He stepped forward, a searing pain wrenching at his chest and radiating the length of his arm. ‘Your mate in there’s dead. You can join him. Fucked if I care.’
The gun clattered to the road. Wynona, having secured her man, ran to Ben’s aid. She scratched at Wolf’s ears and the dog moved off the soldier.
‘You all right? A bit of warning about your attack might’ve been good.’ She nodded to what they could see of the dead man’s feet.
‘He fired first. I didn’t want him firing again.’
‘It’s worked out, but we need to get out of here. We’ve woken the neighbors.’
Lights shone in the house behind them and across the road. Wynona removed the tape from the child’s mouth and hands. She pointed to his mother. ‘Go on. No more bullets.’ Lucas ran into his mother’s arms. ‘Job well done,’ she said.
Wynona found some tape in the jeep and bound the two soldiers fast. She helped Ben back to the house. In the distance sirens could be heard. ‘We need to get out of here.
‘Not yet.’
‘What’s left to do?’
‘I haven’t been paid.’
‘Are you serious?’ In the light from the door, she saw the blood covering his chest. ‘Don’t that hurt.’
‘Like a bitch.’
‘But you want to tackle Max about the money.’ She stepped back and pointed at the house. ‘Off you go. You better be quick.’
Ben turned to Claudia. ‘Can you help me find my wages? I don’t want to seem mercenary here, but a boy’s got to live, eh?’
‘Ben, he’ll pay you, trust me. I’ll make sure of it.’
The ambulance pulled into the pavement and medics jumped from the vehicle and ran for the house.
‘Service is good round here,’ Ben said.
‘Health insurance and sponsoring the cancer wing of Western General Hospital helps. Creepy, but not stupid, is my father.’
M
ore sirens sounded. ‘Did you call the police?’ Ben asked.
Claudia pulled her child tight and shook her head. ‘Neighbors don’t like gun shots. Jesus, they don’t like the backfire of a car.’
Ben stepped into the ambulance and helped himself to bandages and gauze. He pulled his shirt loose and sprayed antiseptic on the wound. His scream was short and sharp, but Wynona and wolf appeared.
‘Give us a hand. Pack the wound with the gauze and tape me up tight.’
Wynona’s rough care caused Ben to wince and whine. She buttoned his shirt and helped him back into his coat as the medics clattered down the stairs, pushing through the crowd of children. Max lay beneath a white sheet and blanket. His head had been propped upright, the oxygen mask secure to his mouth. An intravenous line led to a clear plastic bag dripping life into his veins. He reached out as they drew level with Claudia and Lucas.
‘Come,’ he said. ‘Let your papa hold you before he begs admittance to the Kingdom of God.’
The boy turned to his mother and buried his head against her breast. Claudia’s hand reached down and petted his hair.
‘Did he say, Papa?’ Ben said.
Wynona grabbed Ben’s bad arm, ignored his squeal and led him away from the happy family. ‘You got to leave. The police will be here soon.’
‘Fuck that, did he say Papa?’ He slapped at Wynona’s grip on his arm, but she squeezed with more force.
‘You need to go.’
Sirens sounded in the road as cars screeched to a halt outside. Ben watched as Claudia lifted Lucas onto the gurney and held him while Max touched the child.
‘Take the boat,’ Claudia said.
‘I can’t sail a boat. I can’t even drive a car.’
‘Let’s go.’
They ran through the house and down the stone steps. As they entered the back yard the engine of the motor boat sounded. They continued to the jetty as the throttle opened with a deep roar. A wave of water splashed towards their feet and the boat cruised into the heart of the river.
Ben watched it speed down river. ‘Peg Leg?’
‘Well we know it can’t be Barney.’
‘Back to the jeep, eh?’ Ben said. ‘We need transport and more firepower.’
‘We’ll take my bike.’
‘Fine, but we still need to arm up.’
Chapter Thirty-Six
Ben’s a Hero
Ben and Wynona pulled into the back of the Old Poet Public House. Wynona remained on her bike, negotiating a price for a doctor she knew to fix Ben’s wound. Ben pulled Peg Leg’s pack from Wynona’s pannier. They’d had to push Wynona’s Ducati an age so as not to alert the police to their presence. Once they’d made the Rowing Club, Wynona had started up the Monster 695, keeping the revs low. She’d taken the cycle path that ran along the river, turned into Ostere Lane and approached the pub from the back alley. The back door had been fixed and stood bolted shut. Ben glanced through the window but the dust and dirt revealed little action. Wynona put her phone away and joined him at the window.
‘Doctor’s organized, but she’s not happy about coming here.’
‘Neither am I.’
‘Where did you want to go?’ she said. ‘Western General? Oh, that’s right, the Man closed A&E two years back. And they get just a tad suspicious about bullet wounds. Doctors report bullet wounds, Ben. It’s not even extra paperwork. No, just a phone call.’
A cry, a scream of ‘No!’ and a gun-shot caused her to jump backward.
‘Oh shit,’ Ben groaned. ‘What now?’
Wynona banged on the window. ‘Jesus girl,’ he whispered. He pulled her back from the door. ‘Don’t be a dick. Help me up onto the bin and throw me Peg Leg’s bag.’
Ben, with his hand against his wounded shoulder, kicked a crate against the dumpster. He stepped up and rested his arse on the metal lid. Wynona watched his slow paced movements and sighed.
‘Where you going?’
‘Up onto the flat roof and through the upstairs kitchen.’ He stood up and hobbled to the flat roof. ‘I can get access through the bar without the person with the gun knowing I’m in the building.’
‘Fine, I’ll hit the front door, but I think the No was Loubie stopping Tommy making a piss poor pass at her.’
‘Loubie don’t scream out “No” to Tommy. That was a gun shot. Tommy don’t have a gun. Loubie I can’t vouch for, but I can’t see her with a gun, or knowing how to shoot one. Abe wouldn’t be nursing a knife wound if Loubie had a gun.’
‘Whoa, slow down. Remember you’re talking to a copper. I don’t know who Abe is or need to know about a knife wound.’ She shook her head as she turned the key in the ignition. ‘I’ll meet you at the bar.’
‘Wait. My bag.’ She threw the bag to him. He sat on the roof, rummaged through the contents, and removed two grenades.
‘Are you serious?’
‘Stun grenades. It’ll give us an edge. I need an edge. I’m not moving so clever.’
She caught the grenades, juggling the second as if it were hot.
‘Meet you in the bar. If you hear explosions throw your two grenades through the front window, eh?’
Ben eased onto the roof and hobbled across the gravel to the back door. The window beside the door came open with encouragement. He flipped the lock and found himself gasping shallow breaths as Ivan’s demise crawled and oozed inside his body. Tommy had found the thermostat, but the reduced temperature hadn’t lessened the putrid odor.
He bowed his head in respect to Ivan as he passed the bathroom and descended the stairs. Stair three creaked and he stopped, afraid to lift his foot. He breathed, rolled his head to ease the tension and continued downward. At the kitchen door he listened for signs of life. The door from the trade kitchen to the back bar stood ajar and Ben viewed Loubie holding a bloodied cloth to Tommy’s stomach.
Ben grabbed a handful of paper toweling from the dispenser and fitted paper plugs to his ears. He crept close with two grenades in hand and pressed his face to the gap. Loubie spotted Ben and nodded her head toward the right side of the pub. He showed Loubie the grenades and squeezed his eyes shut, nodding at the girl. With a swift step into the bar, he pulled the pin and threw the grenade toward the front door. He waited for the explosion. The boom rocked the pub. The flash burnt through his closed eyes. He ran out of the kitchen and dived left and landed against the snug door. Pain ripped through his shoulder and he struggled with the gun.
A shot smacked into the wood an inch from his head. He jerked back and hit his head on the door jamb. The window smashed and a grenade bounced into the pub. Ben threw his second grenade, waited with his eyes closed, until the explosions rocked the pub. As the smoke cleared Ben took a quick look beyond the snug room door. Peg Leg shot like a madman, his aim well high. Ben kept within the door, waiting for the rush to die. The empty click came soon enough. Ben fired at his feet and Peg Leg backed away towards the front door.
Another grenade broke through the window on the opposite side of the door. Ben guessed Wynona stood to the church side of the pub. He’d turned away from the explosion, but the bright light caught him unprepared. He blinked at stars and an array of colors and his hearing had gone mute. He pulled the paper plugs from his ears, took two deep breaths and eased himself upright, aiming at Peg Leg’s last known position. Smoke swirled, the door gaped and Peg Leg was gone.
Shots fired outside and Ben ran for the door. Wynona walked toward him with her gun trained on Peg Leg. She’d snapped his prosthetic leg. Peg Leg hobbled and hopped, cursing with vigor as he traveled toward the square.
Sirens sounded.
‘It’s turning into another big night in Ostere,’ Ben said. ‘It’s good the Man’s getting heavy on crime, eh?’
Ben and Wynona watched Loubie cuddling Tommy on the floor by the snug room. ‘What’s Tommy’s issue?’ she said.
‘He’s been shot,’ Loubie said. ‘He saved my life.’ Loubie patted his head, her hand pressing on the bar towels covering his stomach.
‘You deal with Tommy,’ Ben said. ‘I’m going after Peg Leg. I’m not hanging about for the cavalry. Call an ambulance. Tommy’s got insurance.’
Ben set off after Peg Leg. The prosthetic leg hung loose, but Ben moved no faster. His shoulder bled and the pain throbbed, a pulsing spasm clutching at his heart. Wynona reentered the pub and found fresh bar towels to deal with the wound. Loubie cooed to Tommy, her bloodied hands accepting the towels from Wynona.
‘He’s evil, that Peg Leg,’ she said. ‘He wanted Tommy dead. Just wanted to see him beg, but Tommy wasn’t having it. And he kept on and on about some fucking bag. The man’s too many puppies in a bag crazy.’
***
Ben’s pursuit petered to a futile effort as he neared the rear of Ahmed’s Emporium. His side hurt and he felt light headed. Ahmed sat outside his shop smoking a cigarette.
‘Mr. Ben, you don’t look well.’
‘No, kinda beat up, eh? You still open?’
‘Just closing.’
‘I need some stuff.’
Ahmed stood up from his chair and helped Ben to sit. ‘What you need. I will get.’
‘I’m going to need beer and ice and a big chilled bottle of that Slotvak vodka. Snacks would be good. I don’t care what you get. Now I need tweezers, methylated spirits, gauze, and bandages. And that super glue stuff, eh? Can I have the vodka now? I really need the vodka and some strong painkillers. Really strong.’
Ahmed returned with the vodka and broke the seal before passing the bottle to Ben. He ran back inside leaving Ben to suckle on the bottle. ‘Tobacco,’ he shouted into the shop. ‘And a phone.’
Sylvia appeared at the side door of the Coffee House. The shutters clattered and shuddered as they closed on the front and side entrances. She looked across at Ben and waved.
‘You all right?’
‘Just doing some shopping. It’s good this personal service at Ahmed’s.’
‘You heard about young Harry and Tilly?’
‘No. I been out of town.’
‘He’s gone missing in the East End. You know that little girl Alex, his next door neighbor?’
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