“You think you’re better than us don’t you?” Fedex said, his face twisting into a scowl. “You’s a college boy now, with big ideas and fancy food. You think you’s ever gonna leave this place. No one leaves. This is where we are, who we are. You can’t escape who you are.”
“Give it back,” Ethan screamed, baring his teeth and raining punches on Ash’s chest.
“It’s not like that, Fed,” Ash said. “I just wanna earn some money. We can’t…”
“You want money?” Fedex said, fishing a bundle of notes held together with an elastic band from his inside pocket. “This is money. I got wodge, bro. With me you’ll get flush, like you did when we rolled.”
“I don’t wanna disrespect you,” Ash said, still defending blows from his brother. “The phone’s cool, but we can’t take it. My mum’ll find it and that’s jus’ trouble. You don’t need trouble. I know you don’t want that.”
“I hate you,” Ethan screamed, kicking Ash in the ankle and running off. “Why don’t you just go away and die!”
“Look what you done,” Fedex said, pointing. “You ruined his Christmas. And you call yourself a brother. We know what you’s like at being a brother. Disappointing. A quitter. Turn your back on your crew and now your blood too, innit. That’s jus’ wrong. Ice cold. Like a killer.”
Fedex’s boys stalked forwards and encircled Ash. Stoney clenched his fists and cracked his knuckles.
“Sorry,” Ash said, holding out the phone. “For old time’s sake, give me a pass, please. Don’t make Ethan a part of this. He’s only seven.”
“You’re such a disappointment,” Fedex said, holding out the flat of his palm. “Okay then, here, give it me. Then you can go back to mummy. We don’t need you anyways. Waste’a time, innit.”
Ash could see the darkness gathering behind Fedex’s eyes. He’d seen that look many times before. His boys closed in tighter as Ash held the phone over Fedex’s palm. Something bad was coming.
“Thanks, Fed,” Ash said. “So, this cool? We cool?”
“If you give me my phone, yeah.”
Ash nodded and let the phone slip into Fedex’s grasp, but in a flash, Fedex withdrew his hand and the phone clattered across the concrete floor. Ash dove forwards and snatched the handset up mid bounce. Heart hammering, he stared at the screen and exhaled a sigh of relief. It wasn’t smashed. He held it out for Fedex who swiped his hand away, sending the phone flying over the railings of the ninth floor balcony.
“I don’t want no broken phone, ya get me?” Fedex snarled, prodding Ash in the chest as Stoney shoved him up against the railings.
“Look what you did. You broke his phone,” Stoney said menacingly.
Ash looked behind him, over the railings, down to the snow covered concrete nine floors below. This was bad. Fedex was capable of anything. His boys seemed desperate to do something crazy.
“How’s you gonna fix this?” Fedex growled, his bitter face closing in.
“Look, I’m sorry, I don’t have any money. Next year I’m starting a new job. I’ll be able to pay you, I promise.”
“I don’t want no next year money. You got five days. I want a new phone by Christmas Eve.”
“I can’t do that,” Ash said, gasping. Two of Fedex’s boys gripped his arms and pushed him upwards so his torso was leaning precariously over the railings. “Okay, Okay!”
“Okay, wow, since you’re so keen, if it’s that easy, then I want two phones. One will be a Christmas present from you to me. Won’t that be nice of you, bruv,” Fedex said, belligerently slapping Ash’s cheek. “Two phones, you get me. If you don’t get them me, I own your brother. He’ll be my errand boy. Stamp ‘im, Stoney, so he don’t forget.”
Before Ash had a chance to protest, Stoney’s meaty fist connected with his ribs and knocked the wind from him. He doubled forwards and fell to his knees. A swift kick to the side toppled him over, onto the cold stone floor where he lay gasping, pain streaking up his side. Through watering eyes he watched Fedex and his crew swagger off along the ninth floor gangway. Someone punched a window which shattered, causing the gang to cackle with demented laughter. They didn’t even run. Ash knew the tenants were too terrified to confront the group. A broken window could be easily fixed, a broken jaw not so much.
“You got five days, bruv. Don’t be disappointing me,” Fedex said, his voice trailing off. “I know you’s good at that.”
Ash didn’t have time to waste recovering. He pulled himself up and hobbled down the stairs.
“Ethan? E… aarghh… Ethan?” He yelled.
After half an hour of searching, he spotted Ethan outside F block. He looked a forlorn figure, hunched on a swing in the play area beside the climbing frame, lit by the orange light of a lone streetlamp. The snow was falling as fat flakes now. Ash crept over and sank onto the free swing next to Ethan, wincing in pain.
“I’m sorry,” Ash said after a few minutes of silence. He pulled the cigarette from behind his ear, scrunched it in his hand and sprinkled it on the snow.
“That was my phone,” Ethan said in a quiet, sad voice. “It wasn’t yours to give.”
“Listen, Ethan. I care too much to see you fall in with those guys. They’re bad news. They’ll end your future. It nearly happened to me, I know.”
“Maybe they are my future. When you leave I needs to get a crew on, bruv. I needs to…”
“You don’t need to talk gangsta with me. No one talks like that for real. You think Fedex talks like that to his mum? No way, she’d beat his ass. It’s all an act. But people get hurt and one day, when they’re older, it won’t be an act anymore. They’ll forget who they really are. I don’t want that for you, and I’m not leaving. I’ll never leave you. Never ever.”
“You promise?” Ethan said, sniffing and pursing his lips.
Ash hopped off the swing and hugged his brother.
“I promise. It’s you and me against the world, forever. Things are gonna change for us. Things are about to get better. Trust me.”
Ash held Ethan close as the snow fell around them. He exhaled with relief as Ethan threw his arms around him in return.
“I’d do anything for you little man. Brothers forever.”
Darkest Depths
A sh handed over the money he’d managed to rustle up to the checkout girl at the Cash Converters store. He felt queasy as he eyed the stack of games and the Playstation 5 console he was trading in, for less than half the price he’d paid for it all earlier that year. It wasn’t fair. He wanted to scream.
“You must’ve really wanted the new model,” the girl said, bagging up the iPhone Glass and handing it to Ash. “I couldn’t afford one, no way. My contract’s not up for another year at least.”
“It’s not for me,” Ash replied glumly.
“Lucky girl then, or boy,” the shop girl said, beaming a smile. “And they say gallantry is dead. If only I had a hero in my life.”
“Yeah, me too, but heroes are only in fairy tales,” Ash said, taking the bag, his arm dropping to his side.
“That bad, huh?” The girl said. “Cheer up. It’s New Year in a couple of weeks. I always like to think of the New Year as a fresh start. It’s always something positive to look forward to.”
“Things sure can’t get worse,” Ash replied. “Thanks, anyway.”
“Things always get better,” the girl said as Ash headed for the door. “You wait, you’ll see.”
Outside, the winter wonderland was no more. The snow had turned to brown sludge, thick with sooty car exhaust. The air felt unusually muggy for a December evening and grayish orange clouds hung over the city. Ash rammed the bagged phone into his jacket pocket, hung his head and trudged towards the tube station. At some point someone shoulder-barged him, but he couldn’t be bothered to look up. Perhaps he’d shoulder barged them, but who cared. He was too busy trying to work out how the hell he was supposed to get the money together for a second phone.
He toyed with the idea of giving Fedex the one phone
and pleading for a pass on the second, but knew Fedex wouldn’t go for it. The guy didn’t care about the phones. He just wanted revenge. He wanted to punish Ash for leaving the crew and getting into college. Fedex’s jealousy and rage would only grow if his request wasn’t fulfilled.
Ash sighed. It wouldn’t have been so bad if his little brother wasn’t involved. If it was just himself he could have handled the situation. But it wasn’t. Fedex knew the best way to punish Ash was to target his little brother, to turn him to the dark side, against him and his mum. Ash screamed and punched the wall outside the tube station. As the pain flowed through his knuckles, his anger began to grow and sinister thoughts squirmed and wriggled from the depths of his mind. He thought about hurting Fedex. The disturbing images flashing through his mind made him feel sick. His head ached. He was running out of time and options.
He staggered into the tube station, through the turnstiles and onto the escalators that descended into the bowels of London. A few escalators later, in the stifling muggy tunnels that wormed below the city, a brass band played the mournful tune In the Bleak Midwinter. The music seemed to follow Ash as he tried to flee from his dark thoughts. The music twisted and morphed into a tortured moan that bounced off the walls. To Ash, the off-white tiles lining the walls looked like they belonged in an asylum for the criminally insane. He couldn’t control his breathing and the world started to spin. What was he going to do? Where was he supposed to find another phone? He stumbled into a wall and slid down, clasping his head. On and on the brass band played. The music attacked his ears like it was flooding from a hellish merry-go-round that would never stop.
Slowly, as he breathed, he started to feel a little better. He took a deep breath and gazed around. The station was surprisingly empty for London on a Sunday night, but he guessed it was just down to it being Christmas holidays and most people being at home with their families. He was about to get up and head home when a man in a suit rounded the corner at the end of the tunnel. The man was too preoccupied to notice Ash, as he was looking at something on his phone, his new iPhone Glass! The man smiled at the screen, then tucked the phone away.
“Please forgive me,” Ash said quietly, looking up. “I have to do it. I’ve got no choice.”
He knew he couldn’t think about what he was going to do, he just had to do it. There was no other way. His little brother’s future depended on it. He sprang up and lunged. Terror crossed the approaching stranger’s face and he froze to the spot as Ash grabbed his collar and shoved him against the wall.
“Give me your phone,” Ash screamed into the man’s face. “Quick, your phone, now!”
The man cried out, terrified. Ash could feel him shaking.
“Just take my m… money, please,” the man stuttered, tears glistening in his eyes. “Please. I’m j… just going home to my w… wife and kids. Please, it’s Christmas. For god’s sake, please…”
“I don’t wanna hurt you,” Ash shouted. “Just give me your phone. Don’t test me, bruv,” he yelled, raising a clenched fist.
The man’s legs gave out and he collapsed to the floor.
“Please don’t hurt me,” the stranger pleaded, holding his trembling arms in front of his face. “I just wanna go home… please…”
“I don’t wanna hurt you,” Ash shouted, feeling sickened by what he was doing to the poor man. “I just need your phone, please. It’s to save my little brother. Please…”
“Here,” the man spluttered, pulling out his wallet and offering it to Ash. “Take it, take my money, have it all.”
“I don’t want your money, don’t you get it?”
“Just take the money,” the man sobbed, “Please don’t hurt me.”
“I’m so sorry,” Ash said, his voice shaking now too. He felt a tear streak down his cheek. He’d never seen anyone look so scared in all his life. What was he doing? He’d become a monster. “I’m sorry,” Ash said pushing the man’s wallet back at him. “It’s a mistake… I… it was for my brother… I’m sorry… I didn’t mean it…”
At that, Ash turned and ran without thought of where he’d end up. He caught a glimpse of his distorted reflection in the glass of an advertising placard. He looked hideous, an abomination. He’d been an idiot to think he could change, that college would make him a better person, that he could build a better future. People like him were bad, evil, stains on society. He found himself on a tube platform as a train screeched into the station. The doors opened and he stumbled inside. He didn’t care where he was going. It didn’t matter anymore. He’d become everything he hated, even worse than his good for nothing, deserting, criminal of a father. There was no way back from this. It was a one-way trip.
Flood Defenses
W ill Stevens gazed from the windows of the control tower overlooking the Thames barrier, situated at the mouth of the river Thames next to the city of London. The barrier’s seven silver shells stood on concrete islands spaced at intervals across the half kilometre stretch of water below the control room windows. In the event of a tidal surge, Will simply needed to enter a command and the machinery within the shells would spring to life and raise the flood defense barriers, which were presently lying flat on the river bed.
Will’s monitors told him the moon wouldn’t be full for another four days, so its gravitational influence on the tides wasn’t going to be an issue. Data from the weather buoys dotted along the east coast of the United Kingdom showed normal barometric pressure, so raised water levels wouldn’t be a problem either. Tonight, the people of London could sleep safe and happy in their beds, dreaming of Santa Claus and roast turkey with all the trimmings. The chances of the city being flooded were nigh on impossible.
There was, however, one thing that wasn’t as it should have been. A quick glance at the clock on the wall, adorned with golden tinsel and flashing Christmas lights, told him that Kevin, his buddy for the night shift was late. Kevin had already been given a verbal warning for tardiness. If management found out he was late again, he’d be in big trouble. Will picked up his phone and dialled.
“I know, I know,” Kevin answered after a few rings.
“You can’t keep doing this.”
“Yeah I know. I’m in traffic, I’m coming. I went to Nottingham to do the Christmas visit with the olds and got stuck on the way out. I could be a few hours. I don’t know, there might be a crash or something. It’s barely moving. Come on… Move it!”
“You always have a reason.”
“Well I can’t change the laws of space and time, can I? I’ll get there as quick as I can. I checked the weather data before I left. Nothing’s gonna happen tonight. Readings are normal across the board. Just chill.”
“You suck. You can’t keep doing…”
“I know,” Kevin interrupted. “I’ll be there soon. Can’t talk, I’m driving. If the police stop me I’ll be even later. See you in a bit. Relax, nothing’s gonna happen.”
The phone beeped and the call ended. Will scowled at his handset. If Kevin thought he’d risk his job by covering for him again he was wrong. If management enquired, the truth would flow like unhindered water.
Will checked the data on his monitors once more, then opened the media player on his phone and rested it against his stapler. He propped his feet on the desk and leaned back to watch the MythBusters Christmas Reunion Special. If there was no one there to observe him breaking the rules, then why not? Besides, he couldn’t wait to see Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman back in the saddle, causing mayhem and blowing things up like they used to in the old days. Those guys had the best job in the world, and seeing them back together was like catching up with a couple of dear old friends.
Sometime later, satisfied and full after eating a turkey sandwich loaded with stuffing, Will yawned dozily. He wished he’d left some of the delicious sandwich for later. Was MythBusters still playing? He couldn’t quite tell. The cosier he became, the sleepier he felt. He dozily imagined Macaulay Culkin was making a guest appearance on the show, and the trio
were testing supercharged Home Alone style intruder prevention myths, jacked on steroids.
“Wake up, what have you done!” A voice shrieked. “Get up you lazy son of a…”
“Go ‘way,” Will mumbled. “Leave me ‘lone, jus’ a bit longer…”
“Wake up, you fool!” Kevin shrieked again, shaking him harshly.
Will opened his eyes. He licked his lips and wiped the drool from his chin. He gazed at Kevin’s purple face with confusion, not quite understanding what was happening. Kevin swore, slapped him across the face, then dashed across the room to his control station. Will rubbed his burning cheek, still confused. Then he heard the machinery in the barrier’s shells shudder to life.
“Oh crap no,” he said, kicking off from the desk and toppling backwards in his chair. “No, no, no, please no.” He pulled himself from the floor and gawped out of the windows, willing the scene unfolding outside to be a dream, but it wasn’t, it was a nightmare before Christmas.
“Barriers are rising,” Kevin said, tapping his desk impatiently. “Come on, come on! This is so bad. We’ll be arrested for this you fricking idiot! It must have been a hack. The buoys should’a been showing low pressure. It’s a full on surge. I might’a got here just in time, I dunno… come on, come on…”
Horror struck, Will watched millions of litres of foaming white water crashing into the concrete islands spanning the Thames. The water level was rising quickly, surging with incredible force and speed. Within minutes the O2 dome and Canary wharf behind it, decorated with Christmas lights, would start getting wet. The surge would then swamp Westminster and head down the river to Henley. Hopefully, Kevin had raised the barriers in time to avert a full-on disaster. The Thames could handle a lot of excess water. Will prayed the worst disaster in London’s history since World War II wasn’t about to unfold, but it would be impossible to gauge until the barriers were up. One thing was for sure, he’d screwed up big time.
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