by Vi Carter
“We good?” He asks already grinning knowing we are.
“Yeah we’re good.” He releases me and takes my phone out of his back pocket and places it in my hand.
“Nice one,” I say.
He also hands me my wallet. Not one card will work since Liam cancelled them all. That’s why I needed to get this next job done.
“Everyone ready for tonight?” I ask as I take a seat beside everyone else. Art hands me a drink and I refuse. I don’t want this job to go wrong. I want to have my mind focused. Everyone looks at me like I’m a fucking leper.
“I want a clear head,” I tell them but don’t look at Mark. His presence here is good. It means I didn’t piss him off enough for him to go to the Gardai.
“There’s only one thing,” DJ says.
I nod. I don’t want them to know how desperate I am.
“You burn our money this time and shows over man.”
I grin and shrug like I am pretending to consider it. “Let’s make sure no one pisses me off then.”
DJ turns away from me not happy with my reply. Art snorts a laugh. He doesn’t give a shit. Money is plentiful to him.
“So everyone knows what they are doing?” I ask this while looking at Fitz, he’s in the same white hoodie with the hood pulled up.
“You know I am,” he says fixing his tracksuit bottom legs.
“Am I with DJ again?” Mark ask.
I look to DJ, it was his call.
“Yeah you’re with me,” DJ tells him.
Art snorts one line after another up his nose. “I’m with you man,” he says to me, while inhaling quickly through his nose.
I itch to join him but I don’t. Everything will be the same as the last time, only this time we are hitting Kingscourt. It’s very close to home, but the layout is similar to Kells. A single street, it makes it easier to block.
Art robbed a Range Rover; the black shiny surface reflects my face as I climb in.
“You couldn’t have gotten something a little less inconspicuous?” I ask.
He jumps into the passenger seat with ease and starts going through the CD’s like he knows what he is looking for. “It’s my Dads.” His grin spreads wide across his face.
“Have you fucking lost it?”
“He deserved it. My Dad is an asshole.” He peeks at me with a smirk before returning to the CD’s.
I knew he didn’t have the best relationship with his dad, but stealing his jeep?
We wait until everyone else has left before we leave the warehouse. Art blares the music while he pretends to play drums on the dashboard.
I want to feel the high he’s feeling. I hate how slick my hands are right now, or how I’m thinking of all the things that could go wrong. I normally don’t give a fuck. Being sober might not have been the wisest. Art takes out a small bag of powder and snorts another line up his nose.
“You want some?” He asks.
I fold. “Fuck it yeah.”
I snort the line off his hand before sitting back in my seat and letting the drug flow through my veins. The feeling of panic disappears rapidly and I turn up the music. The tightening around my throat goes slowly and it’s replaced with the sense of invisibility. We roar towards Kingscourt as I push my foot down harder on the pedal.
***
Hot air blows out of my nose and my face feels itchy from the balaclava. It’s restricting but I’ll get over it.
Everyone is ready the moment I stop the Range Rover, Art is out and up on the digger. The gun is cold in my hands as I climb out and focus on the empty street around us. Music still blares from the jeep making my pulse pump and pound.
Art tears the ATM from the wall and it’s on the flatbed trailer in seconds. I give DJ a wave to leave and he starts his jeep. Art is running towards me. I take one final look before climbing back into the jeep.
Sirens blare and I freeze for a moment, my frantic mind wondering how the fuck we are going to get out of this. I unfreeze and race to the jeep, jumping in and starting it. My foot pushes down on the accelerator, smoke rises as the tires tear from the road.
Art grips his door and slams it as I take off, the squad car in front of me blocks our way.
“Put on your belt, “I say.
I clip mine in and tear towards the squad. The impact when we hit the front of it has our bodies slamming forward but I don’t stop, I don’t lift my foot but zoom past them.
Art whoops and shouts as he glances out the window.
“They’re following us.” He shouts.
I can’t stop the smile that crosses my face. “Let’s put your Daddy’s car to the test,” I say and he laughs. The jeep roars out the Carraickmacross road. All the bends slow us down and the Gardai are able to keep up with us.
“You need to go faster man,” Art tells me as he snorts more coke up his nose.
“Can you hold off for five fucking seconds?” I rub my face as I look at the three squad cars who tear after us down the road.
When the bends disappear it’s only then I put distance between us and them. I can’t push the jeep any harder, the smaller Gardai cars falls further behind and I relax enough to pull off my balaclava. I turn down a back road. I don’t slow down but keep pushing the jeep. The roads aren’t gentle to us and we bounce around.
“Slow down before you snap my neck,” Art’s words have me slowing down. The night is quiet and no sirens can be heard. I pull the jeep into a field.
Art is out getting petrol out of the boot. We douse the jeep before lighting it up and take off on foot.
“Ring Fitz he’ll come and get us,” Art says.
I don’t instead I ring DJ. “You okay?” I ask but really, I want to know if my money is okay.
“Yeah man that was too close for comfort. What about you guys?”
“Yeah we’re good. What happened?” They got there too quick. Like maybe they know.
“Fitz rang me, the cops were chasing him, and he had forgotten to drop the spikes to slow them down.”
Dumb fuck.
“Where is he now?” I ask.
DJ doesn’t answer and an uneasy feeling skitters across my back. “I keep ringing him but no answer.”
“Can you pick me and Art up? We are close to Dun na Ri park.” I say.
“Give me twenty minutes.”
I hang up and Art is staring at me. “Fitz fucked up, forgot to drop the spikes.”
“I’ll beat the shit out of him.” Art responds. His foot strikes the ground forcefully.
“He’s not picking up his phone.” I light up a smoke.
“You think he snitched?” When Art asks, I already know the answer.
“Nah, but I just hope he didn’t get caught.”
***
DJ picks us up. The moment we are in the car, I know something is wrong. My first thought is Mark.
“Where’s Mark?” I ask.
DJ starts the car. “Mark is at the warehouse, but Fitz was arrested.”
“Fuck!” Art roars.
“Calm down Art,” I say and he sits back.
“What do we do?” DJ sounds nervous.
“I’m thinking, just head back to the warehouse.”
Mark is counting the money when we walk in; he pauses and looks at the three of us.
“I hope you’re not pocketing any of that.” I spit before making my way to the fridge.
“Fuck you.” His reply comforts me. I don’t really give a shit if he does; I just need to figure out how to get Fitz out of jail.
“How much did we get this time?” Art asks popping open a bottle.
I’m listening.
“If we split it equally?” Mark asks.
I stare at Mark before nodding.
“10 k each.” He grins.
I feel like screaming. “Scrapes.” That wasn’t going to last me long. Sitting down I run both hands across my face before picking up my bottle and drinking half of it. I really had only one option.
Taking my phone out I ring the on
e person who can fix this.
“Darragh.” Liam’s voice makes me reconsider.
“How is it going?” I ask. Everyone is watching me so I get up and walk away.
“Are you in trouble?”
I hate how he already knows that I’m not ringing for a chat. “Of course not. Can’t one brother ring another.”
“I’m working so we can continue this social conversation at home.”
“Fine. I need your help.” I say.
Silence fills the line but he hasn’t hung up, so that’s good.
“A mate got arrested for speeding could you send- “ I start, but he cuts me off.
“No. Is that all?”
“Liam, I’d owe you, “I say.
“I said no.”
What an asshole.
“Fine.” I hang up and turn to everyone knowing they are waiting to hear if I can fix this.
“Sorry guys he’s temperamental these days.”
Art’s phone dings. “He’s been admitted to Navan hospital.” Art says looking back up. “He flipped the car, minor injuries.”
“Who told you?” DJ asks.
“Cathy one of the nurses. I texted her and asked her about Fitz.”
“Are you sleeping with her?” DJ asks really slowly.
“Of course he is.” I shake my head as I grab another drink.
“Yeah, she has a banging body, not a great face. But it’s good to have someone you know, for information like this.”
“Well nothing we can do now only celebrate.” I say.
Everyone hasn’t fully relaxed. I grab a drink for DJ and Mark. We stand together in a circle.
“A bit of a fuck up, but it could be worse.” I say and we click our bottles together before we all take a long drink.
That night we do a lot of drugs until bliss is everywhere.
“I love you.” I tell Art as I light a fag.
“I love you too man.”
“I mean it. You are like my fucking rock. I know you got my back,” I say while throwing my arm across his shoulders.
“Don’t burn me.” He moves away from my lit smoke so I move it to the other hand.
“You could always buy a new jumper.” I tell him.
Art grins. “But I like this one.”
“You know my family is filled with pricks.” I inhale again and watch the smoke fill the space above my head.
Art widens his eyes like he’s trying to stay awake before slipping away from me.
“Great talk,” I mutter as I get another bottle of beer. Sitting back on the chair I watch as Mark and DJ hobble around to music that blares from the radio that’s propped up on the wall. Both of them are stoned out of their heads. Art continues to snort too much coke up his nose and sitting here in this shed, reminds me of the fucking losers they are. I down the rest of the bottle and leave it sitting on the ground as I get up and leave the warehouse. No one notices me as I slip out and into my car.
***
I check myself again in the bathroom mirror in the hospital. My eyes are too wide. Cold water splashes my face and I meet my eyes again in the mirror. I check my pockets for more coke, just a little bit more would settle me but I come up empty. I must have already taken the last of it. It’s seven in the morning and the hospital is quiet as I seek out Fitz. He’s in the male ward finally out of that fucking hoodie; the blue gown makes him appear sickly. The bruises across his face are stark and one leg is wrapped up in a cast. The nurse’s station is lit up; I can make out three of them drinking coffee and chatting but no one is on the ward. I move quietly over to Fitz and shake him until he wakes up.
“What’s up bud?” I greet him.
His eyes flicker around the room and fear is visible on his face.
“What did you tell them?” I ask.
“Nothing I swear. I’m loyal to you Darragh.” His mumbling was waking one of the guys beside us.
“Shh. That’s not what I asked. What did you say to them?”
“I was drinking and driving, when the Gardai followed me, I panicked and drove away. That’s it.”
“Excuse me.” One of the nurses who is carrying more weight than what is considered a good advertisement for the health service shuffles towards me.
I stand to my full height and raise both eyebrows while my lips lift slightly in a smile. “Good morning nurse.”
“You can’t be in here.” Her cheeks tinge red as she gets closer, but she’s holding firm to her hospital policies.
“Just visiting a friend.” I tell her. Fitz the stupid fucker doesn’t back me up.
The nurse finally looks to Fitz who nods like a dummy.
“I was just leaving.” I turn to do just that but she’s on my heels.
“I’ll walk you out.”
“No need,” I tell her, but she’s still following me. “I suppose the walk would do you good.” I fire over my shoulder and her face flames.
“Excuse me.” I walk faster but she manages to keep on my heels. She’s like a dog with a fucking bone.
“Look, I know you don’t get to walk this close to someone who looks like me, but you can fuck off now. I don’t need a chaperone.”
Her face slackens, her washed-out eyes hold mine steadily, something I didn’t expect from her.
“Security.” She marches over the reception desk. “Marcella get me security.”
I’m still walking away from her.
“Don’t move, sir.”
I pause. “Or what? You’ll eat me?”
She shakes her head in disgust and I turn just as ‘security’ enters the building. The guy in front of me is four foot six, with a bald head, decaying teeth and a frame that threatens to fold if I touched it.
“What’s the problem Mary?” He’s removing a walkie talkie from the strap on his black trousers.
Mary the heifer is moving towards us. “I caught him in the male ward, and when I tried to escort him out, he became hostile and abusive.”
“I was visiting a friend,” I tell the security man, who’s still staring at Mary. “I wasn’t abusive.”
“Backup to the front of the hospital we have an abusive man on site.” He speaks into his walkie talkie.
“What the fuck?” I needed more drink to deal with this shit. I try to sidestep the side show, but the security man blocks me. I could pick him up and move him aside but as three more enter the building all ready for action I decide to take a deep breath.
“What’s the problem?” security man number two asks Mary.
“Have you no work to do?” I ask Mary the trouble fucking maker. She’s really getting on my nerves.
“Don’t speak to her sir.” Security man number three who is a similar height to my six foot steps forward. The handle-bar mustache makes it hard to take him seriously.
“I’m leaving. No harm done.” When no one moves, I try to rein in my irritation. “What the fuck do you want?” I take a step towards the security man. “Money, and apology, blood?”
“Calm down, sir.” Four foot says with his hand looped into the belt of his trousers.
I try to step around them again but I’m blocked. The third guy is out with his walkie talkie. I can’t hear what he is saying into it.
“Have you been drinking?”
“You’re hospital security not the fucking Gardai. I see what’s happening here, you all went and sat the entrance exam to become a Gardai and failed so this is the best you got. And fat fucking Mary here, tries to make herself feel better by helping the sick while her own sickness-“ I turn to Mary. “-Which we know is eating, is out of fucking control.”
“How dare you?” Mary’s wide eyes start to water.
Sweat is gathering on the back of my neck, I need a hit now or something else before I snap. I move and when they block me this time I push forward. Four-foot hits the ground, like someone throws a game in a football match. The other two shuffle in front of me with arms outstretched. They keep moving backwards but don’t touch me.
Once we
get outside, they seem to sigh as the Gardai pull up and two of them make their way towards me. I was so fucked this day.
CHAPTER TEN
CIARA
The new club is filled with punters, but the room is kept cool from all the overhead fans. The low lights and sultry music makes me want to leave and have a shower. I didn’t think I would ever crave to be back cleaning toilets, but this place was making my skin crawl. Women with bodies to die for wrap themselves around poles as the music changes to a more upbeat tempo, some singer telling them to work bitch. Men lounge everywhere; their eyes wide with lust as they sit back sipping drinks and enjoying the show.
The table I serve seats two men who ooze money. The blond hair guy has a split down the center his hair falling to his ears. I can’t keep up with the amount of times he runs his hands through his highlighted hair and flashes his pearly whites around the room.
“Two martinis,” I speak with a smile as I place them in front of blondie and his mate who didn’t get picked in the looks department. His black hair is gelled back; a false tan and over whitened teeth make his overall appearance too much.
A wink from blondie is sent my way, at first, I straighten and check behind me. His deep laugh has me staring back at him, my eyes immediately flashing to his teeth.
“What’s your name, sweetheart?” he asks.
I hold the tray loosely between my fingers and keep the smile on my face. “Ciara. Is there anything else I can get you gentleman?”
It’s like watching a peacock showcase his colored feathers. The word gentleman seems to have that effect on blondie as he puckers his chest out further. His friend gives me a dismissive wave as his eyes stay trained on the pole dancers.
“Your number?”
Blondie isn’t my type, but I was pretty sure I wasn’t his either. That’s why this conversation wasn’t making sense. “I’m sorry. We aren’t allowed to mingle with clients. Is that all gentleman?”
Blondie isn’t giving up. “Tell me your boss’s name, and I’m sure I can sort this out.”