by Todd, Ian
“Look, Snappy’s goat a set ae wheels, so he his. Who’s wanting tae come fur a wee spin tae see if we kin get a haud ae him?” Simon asked.
“It’s Christmas day so the streets will be deid,” Pat reminded them.
“Aw the better tae spot Harper if he’s oot and oan the go then.”
“Ah’ll come,” Ben volunteered.
“Anywan else?”
“Ah’m anchoring here. Right, Tony, get the cards oot and we’ll hiv a game ae Bella,” Pat said, staunin up and taking aff his jaicket, turning up the radio as ‘Back Street Luv’ started up.
Chapter Thirty Six
Digger Day Eight
He wis a strange wan, wis Silent. He never did seem tae hiv too much luck when it came tae being libbed. Johnboy smiled tae himsel, thinking aboot how Silent hid goat huckled oan the same day as he’d been released fae approved school. Imagine getting lifted by the bizzies oan yer first day ae liberation, efter spending a third ae yer life in an approved school? That hidnae been the only first, that day either. It wis true whit they said aboot everything coming in threes. Apart fae Silent getting lifted oan his first day ae freedom, that hid been the day that The Mankys’ lives, and in particular, Joe’s life, hid changed furever. It hid also been the day that Tony hid ended up hivving a square-go wae that creepy prick, The Stalker. The square-go hid happened earlier in the day, before Silent hid arrived oan the scene. Wance again, Snappy hid been in there somewhere, letting the cat oot ae the bag. Snappy and Ben McCalumn hid been o’er in the Cowlairs railway yards the night before. They’d been sniffing oot goods wagons, bit maist ae the wans they’d come across hid been lying empty. The wans that hid been full and ready tae roll hid hid security guards and bizzies wae dugs crawling aw o’er them. Oan the way back across the railway lines, they’d come across a couple ae tons ae bush brass. The brass wis something tae dae wae the actual railway line itsel, and each piece, black wae soot and grease, weighing aboot twenty tae thirty pounds, wis moulded intae the size ae a brick wae two holes at either end ae them. There hid been a big pile sitting in a wee shed and Snappy and Ben hid spent hauf the night shifting it fae where they’d found it, across tae wan ae the big engineering sheds that lay empty and unused.
Snappy hid sent Ben tae roond up Tony, Johnboy and Simon in the morning, tae gie them a haun tae shift the brass fae the shed tae the hooses across oan Morrin Street. They’d arranged tae meet Billy MacRae and his milk van, who wis tae be waiting at twelve o’clock tae pick up the brass tae take doon tae Greasy Jake’s oan the Broomielaw beside the Clyde. They’d been cutting it fine tae meet Billy at bang oan twelve. They’d been under pressure tae get their skates oan because Billy wid’ve finished his door deliveries and wid be jist aboot tae start delivering crates ae milk across the city tae the wee grocers and corner shoaps. They’d jist arrived in the big shed and hid aw been staunin aboot, chewing the cud, estimating how much weight there wis and how much they could expect tae get fae Greasy Jake when the two local sergeants, The Stalker and Bumper hid arrived oan the scene. Talk aboot the blind leading the blind…Johnboy wisnae sure who’d heided in the direction ae the cage lift first, bit whoever it hid been, they’d aw followed him, straight towards a deid end.
“In here, quick!” Snappy hid suddenly shouted, daeing a quick left, straight intae a lift that must’ve been built tae take squads ae men and machinery up tae the gantry flairs above.
They hidnae been too sure where Bumper hid fucked aff tae, bit jist before Simon hid slid the cage door shut and Snappy hid slid the lever forward, The Stalker hid somehow managed tae nip in tae the cage wae them. It hid been pretty weird at the time. Johnboy hid never really been that close tae The Stalker, withoot hivving hid they big stalking hauns ae his roond his neck, and there he wis, staunin there, panting like a dug oan heat in the lift in front ae the five ae them, as the lift slowly wound its way up towards the big empty gantry flairs.
“Right, ya basturts, Ah’ve goat youse noo. Ye’re aw under arrest, so youse ur,” he’d declared triumphantly.
Nobody hid said a word. They’d aw jist stood there staring at him as if he wis a Martian or something. It hid been Snappy that hid broken the ice.
“Is that right? Go aheid then, ya prick, ye. See where it gets ye,” he’d scowled, as it suddenly dawned oan them aw whit the situation meant fur them...and The Stalker.
“Ah’m telling youse, it’ll only get worse fur yersels if youse put up any resistance. We’ve goat the place surrounded, so we hiv,” The Stalker hid croaked unconvincingly, as they stood watching him wae big grins spreading across their coupons, as he wis looking aboot fur an escape route.
Simon hid still been oan the cage door haundle and Snappy’d hid the lever pressed forward, taking them higher. Tae The Stalker’s right, Johnboy, Tony and Ben hid jist stood staring at the basturt. Behind Simon, the expanse and the size ae the shed could be seen fur whit it wis. Johnboy hid never been in an aircraft hanger before, bit he’d seen them oan the telly and in films and he reckoned this wis whit they must’ve been like. Behind the Stalker, the first ae the gantry flairs hid slowly appeared and then disappeared as everywan looked up in anticipation ae the next wan appearing.
“Paddy! Paddy! Fur Christ’s sake!” Bumper hid howled in frustration, panic evident in that grumpy voice ae his, fae doon oan the ground flair.
Everywan hid turned, including The Stalker, tae look doon at Bumper. He’d appeared oot fae the gantry side ae the shed and wis staunin in the middle ae it, looking up. Simon hid gied him a wee wave, which hid broken the ice and caused the rest ae them tae laugh.
“Don’t worry, Fin, Ah’ve goat them,” The Stalker hid shouted, trying tae bluff them intae surrender.
“Don’t worry, Bumper, we’ve goat him,” Snappy hid shouted doon, mimicking The Stalker’s voice, before turning his attention back tae The Mankys’ number wan hate figure.
When the lift hid come tae a gentle stoap at the tap ae the building, The Stalker hid made his move. He’d flown across towards Simon, bit Tony’d managed tae catch him wae a clip oan the right-haun side ae his jaw and he’d hit the deck, before scurrying backwards oan aw fours, like an upside doon crab, until he could go nae further.
“Ye’re a fucking big man when ye’ve goat aw yer pals roond ye, Gucci,” he’d snarled bravely, bit everywan hid known, including him, that he wis up tae his neck in shite.
“And that coming fae the man who sets aboot poor defenceless drunks, mob-haunded wae aw his mates up in the cells ae the bizzy shoap, eh?” Ben hid scoffed back at him.
“Ye’ve nae proof ae that. Ah don’t take liberties, so Ah don’t,” The Stalker hid snapped back, as they aw burst oot laughing in disbelief.
Whit hid happened next hid dragged The Stalker’s perilous situation oot fur a minute or two longer, bit hid probably saved him fae getting seriously injured or even killed and them aw fae being put away fur a long time. It hid been obvious tae everywan, particularly The Stalker, that Simon and Snappy wanted tae weigh in aboot him.
“Hing oan, Paddy, Ah’m oan ma way,” Bumper’s echoing voice could be heard shouting fae somewhere oan the other side ae the big shed, before they’d heard the thump ae his boots stomping up the steel stairs.
“Right, ya prick, ye. Let’s get this done and dusted wance and fur aw. You and me…up ye get,” Tony hid snarled at him.
“Whit? Dae ye think Ah’m daft or something?” The Stalker hid spat back at him, glancing across at them aw.
“Aw, fuck aff, Tony. Ah owe that prick plenty!” Simon hid shouted, clearly no happy wae the turn ae events.
“Aye, Tony,” Snappy hid chipped in accusingly.
“Furget them, it’s jist you and me. They won’t jump in, nae matter who’s getting the better ae the other wan,” Tony hid said, his voice mingling wae the faraway echo ae Bumper’s feet, clump-clumping up they stairs.
“How dae Ah know that?”
“Because Ah said so, that’s why,” Tony hid replied, looking across at Simon w
ho wis clearly no too happy.
“Right, ye’re on, ya wanker, ye,” The Stalker hid said, shrugging, staunin up and taking aff his jaicket.
In the midst ae The Stalker taking aff his jaicket, Ben hid shot across quickly and snatched the leather strap ae The Stalker’s baton which hid been hinging oot ae his trooser pocket.
“Ah’ll hiv that,” Ben hid said, moving back quickly.
It hid been at that point that the first signs ae fear hid appeared oan The Stalker’s face. It wis obvious that he thought that Ben wis breaking rank and wis jist aboot tae attack him.
“Right, remember whit Ah’ve jist said…this is jist between us. Johnboy? Ben? If any ae that pair try tae interfere, Ah want youse tae hiv a go at them. Hiv youse goat that?” Tony hid demanded and the pair ae them hid nodded back.
It hid been a tense situation. While Snappy hid let everywan know how he wis feeling by kicking the sliding caged door, Simon’s face hid turned a wee bit peely-wally as he’d glared across at Tony…and it wisnae wae fear either. Simon wisnae fae the Toonheid. He hidnae been a Manky fur mair than five minutes and Johnboy hid been picking up a bit ae tension fae Simon, directed at Tony fur making aw the decisions. He hidnae made any direct challenges, bit hid been coming oot wae wee aff-the-cuff remarks. Johnboy knew that Tony wid’ve been picking up oan it as well, so hidnae bothered tae mention anything tae Tony, bit the challenge wis noo oot in the open…which wis a good thing, although Simon’s timing could’ve been better.
“And you? Are you gaun alang wae aw this shite?” Simon hid snarled at his best pal Ben.
“Don’t put me tae the test, Simon,” Ben, who’d gone through primary and secondary school wae Simon hid warned him, much tae Simon’s disgust.
Simon hid looked a wee bit crestfallen at Ben’s reply…bit only fur a second. Fuck knows whit The Stalker must’ve thought ae it aw, bit it hid soon been furgotten aboot as everywan goat back tae the business in haun. The Stalker hid clearly been getting himsel ready while the wee domestic hid been playing oot. He’d awready goat intae a semi-crouched, wrestler stance, loosely swinging baith erms fae side tae side. Whether it hid been tae dae wae the distraction fae Simon or no, Tony hid fallen fur wan ae the auldest tricks in the book. Who wid’ve thought that The Stalker wid’ve taken advantage, given the situation he’d found himsel in. He’d suddenly flown across at Tony as Tony’s jaicket wis doon o’er his shoulders. Tony hid tried tae move tae the side, jist as The Stalker’s fist glanced aff ae the side ae that heid ae his.
“Paddy! Paddy? Ah’m jist aboot there, son. Ah’m coming,” Bumper hid shouted fae three flairs doon and a couple ae hunner yards alang the gantry.
Tony hid jist managed tae get his jaicket aff, as The Stalker’s boot landed in his guts, while he wis still doubled o’er efter the blow tae his heid. Gie him his due though…Tony hid hit the deck, rolling away fae The Stalker’s vicious kicks which wur being aimed at his heid and body. Snappy hid let oot another frustrated roar and kicked the cage door again. The Stalker hid gone efter Tony, feet flying, trying tae land a blow, bit Tony hid copied The Stalker’s earlier backwards crab crawl, wae a few wee rolls here and there, while kicking back at the same time, fur good measure. It hidnae looked that good fur Tony, fae where Johnboy hid been staunin.
“C’mone, Tony, get up!” Simon hid hauf screamed, hauf pleaded.
“C’mone Tony, ye kin dae it,” Ben hid shouted, as The Stalker’s feet continued tae kick at Tony and stomp doon blows wae the heel ae his boot oan tae Tony’s legs.
“Take that, ya basturt! Ah’ve goat ye noo, ya bloody Atalian shitehoose, ye,” The Stalker hid roared, panting like fuck.
And then, thank fuck, the tide hid turned. Wan minute Tony hid been scrambling backwards, trying tae avoid The Stalker’s boots, when aw ae a sudden, he’d let oot a roar ae exertion. Lifting that Tally arse ae his straight up aff the ground and using his shoulders, the back ae his heid and his two hauns bent behind his neck, he’d flipped forward and upwards, tae land oan his feet. It wis like something oot ae a James Bond film and The Mankys hid aw let oot a cheer in relief.
“Thank fuck,” Johnboy remembered muttering, in amongst the sound ae the cheering and Bumper’s still distant echoing flat feet pounding away oan the steel staircase.
It hid been clear tae everywan in the lift, including The Stalker, that he wis back in Shite Street. He’d taken his chance, and hid blown it. Ye could see it written aw o’er that coupon ae his. He’d lunged forward, trying tae push Tony back oan tae his arse wae the weight ae his charging body, bit Tony hid managed tae grab him by the throat while The Stalker hid managed tae grip him in a bear hug.
“Hoi, youse basturts! Ah kin see youse. Let him go, ya basturts, ye. That’s serious assault, so it is,” Bumper hid screamed at them, hivving reached a level where he could see whit wis gaun oan.
Tony’s feet hid been up aff the flair and The Stalker hid howled like a bear as he crushed Tony’s ribs, while running across the lift. He crashed the back ae Tony’s heid and body against the grilled gate. The deafening racket ae the pair ae them crashing aboot in the lift wis ricocheting aw o’er the shed. Tony hid let oot a painful yelp before sinking his teeth intae the basturt’s nose. The Stalker hid instantly let oot a painful howl, while easing aff oan his body grip, jist enough tae gie Tony room tae stick the heid oan him and then start pummelling fuck oot ae they eyes ae his wae his fists. The Stalker hid let go by this time and hid started tae back aff. Tony hid followed through wae a series ae punches tae his face and ribs. It hid been obvious that The Stalker hid put too much effort intae trying tae take Tony doon wae his fly-man opening move earlier. The sergeant hid then gone intae Jack-in-the-box mode, erms flailing wildly, whilst Tony crashed his fists, first intae his ribs, causing him tae double o’er, and then straightening him up wae uppercuts tae his face.
“Ye’re gonnae hiv tae get a move oan, Tony. We’ve goat company heiding oor way,” Ben hid warned him, as Simon, Snappy and Johnboy aw turned tae clock Bumper shuffling towards them, sounding as if he’d jist run the three minute mile in twenty seconds.
“Fuck, there’s nae way he’s gonnae make it. Look…he’s aw o’er the shoap, the twat,” Simon hid shouted oot, laughing, as Bumper staggered forward, wheezing like an auld demented mongrel that hid suddenly found it’s freedom efter being stuck tae a bitch fur a day and a hauf.
“Get the gate, Simon,” Tony hid panted, as he laid punch efter punch intae The Stalker, backing him towards Simon.
Simon hid slid the gate open, jist as Bumper appeared aboot fifteen feet away. Tony hid finally let loose wae a right-haunded sucker punch, straight intae The Stalker’s solar plexus. As he’d doubled up, legs aboot tae gie way, Tony’d stepped back and swiftly booted him full in the face, sending him crashing oot ae the lift, tae land oan his back oan the tap flair gantry landing. Ben hid quickly tossed the polis jaicket, wae the sergeant’s stripes oan the sleeve, through the gate, as Simon slammed the gate shut and Snappy wrenched the lever towards him.
“Paddy? Paddy, ur ye alive?” Bumper hid cried oot in panic, wheezing as he staggered forward, before collapsing oan tap ae The Stalker, as the lift slowly began tae descend.
“Of course, he’s alive, ya stupid prick, ye. We’re no murderers, so we’re no,” Snappy hid shouted gaily.
“Ah’m gonnae fucking get youse, if it’s the last fucking thing Ah dae,” Bumper hid wheezed, taking oot his baton and throwing it towards the lift before throwing up.
He’d clearly been done in, as the baton tumbled forward, falling short by aboot three feet.
“Aye, aye, we’ve heard it aw before, la, la, fucking la. Jist make sure ye bring somewan who kin fight the next time,” Simon hid sang merrily, as Bumper and The Stalker disappeared fae sight.
By the time they’d goat across tae Morrin Street, Billy MacRae, the milk man, hid been sitting waiting fur them and hid been fair disappointed at no making a bit ae dosh oot ae the bush brass deal. Oan the way across the railway lines tae Sp
ringburn, Tony hid hung back and spoken tae Johnboy. He’d asked him tae keep an eye oan Ben.
“Why?”
“He’s supposed tae hiv been Simon’s best pal aw the years they went through school and look how he left him in the shite when Simon wis looking fur back-up, back there in the lift.”
“He’s intae being a manky. Ah widnae hiv a go at him fur that. Some things become mair important as ye get aulder,” Johnboy hid said.
“Ah’m glad he backed me, bit where wis the loyalty fur his best mate?”
The Mankys hid goat Billy tae gie them a lift intae the toon centre because Johnboy hid an interview later in the day wae Samson’s, the big furniture shoap at the bottom ae the High Street, plus everywan hid agreed that it made sense fur them aw tae stay oot ae the way fur a few hours.
Efter leaving Johnboy tae go fur his interview, Tony, Simon, Snappy and Ben hid heided back up tae Springburn and within five minutes ae arriving, hid bumped intae Silent. He’d jist been liberated fae approved school that morning. Insteid ae drapping him aff at the train station, a couple ae the teachers hid been heiding oot tae Kilsyth tae pick up somewan who’d been caught oan the run and they’d drapped Silent aff at his granda and granny’s closemooth, oot in Kirkintilloch. He’d only been back a couple ae hours before he’d telt the auld wans that he wis leaving hame. He’d then gone and jumped oan a bus and goat drapped aff at the Fire Station oan Springburn Road, across fae Jonah’s. Within an hour ae him meeting up wae The Mankys, two bizzies called Hope and Glory, alang wae Biscuit Smith and the bulging-eyed bizzy they called Froggie hid been hot oan their tail, chasing them aw o’er Springburn. Poor Silent hid been the wan tae get captured, even though he hidnae been at the square-go between Tony and The Stalker earlier.
Getting nicked and slung intae jail wis jist wan ae they unfortunate twists ae fate ae being a Manky. Nae matter how much care everywan took tae try tae ensure that didnae happen, aw the best laid plans wur never quite a hunner percent guaranteed tae work oot. Wan day, ye wur ambling alang tae the next wee bit ae thievery, and then the next? Well, sitting in the digger in the dark waiting fur a wee moose tae make an appearance wis proof enough that the best laid plans didnae always work oot. Whenever wan ae The Mankys ended up in the jail, there wisnae any letters sent back and forth tae let people know how ye wur daeing. The constant traffic ae people oan the ootside arriving in the nick and the wans leaving, meant that everywan mair or less knew whit wis happening maist ae the time. Wan day they’d be ootside, living it up, and the next, they could be in the clink, locked up. It wis as simple as that. Johnboy and the rest ae The Mankys knew that Silent wid appear back oan the scene sooner or later, although in his case, nowan hid been too sure exactly when that wid be, other than it wid be oan or jist efter his fifteenth birthday. Tony hid been so angry at Silent getting nicked that himsel and Snappy hid gone and goat Silent a brief. Graham Portoy hid been Johnboy’s court-appointed lawyer when he’d been sentenced tae approved school when he wis thirteen. Johnboy remembered Portoy being sherricked by JP Donnelly, the Justice ae the Peace, who sat in The District Court, doon at Central in the Saltmarket. JP hid been the basturt that hid put Johnboy’s ma in the jail fur assaulting a big useless prick ae a sergeant called Liam Thompson back in the Toonheid, roond aboot the same time as Horsey John, The Big Man’s stable manager and Skull’s murderer, hid croaked it in an accident oan Parly Road. His ma and JP hated the sight ae each other and always averted their eyes whenever they came across each other in the street, which wis often, as JP hid gone and goat involved in helping auld Dick Mulholland tae become the elected cooncillor up in Springburn, straight efter he moved up there fae the Toonheid. Even though he wis an ancient auld crusty basturt, Johnboy’s ma always said that JP wis jist biding his time, waiting fur Dickheid Dick tae pop his clogs, so he could move in and take o’er the patch. JP hid stoapped sitting oan the bench as a judge no long efter he’d eventually found Johnboy’s ma not guilty ae assaulting the sergeant. Her lawyer at the time hid been a famous brief called Harry Portoy. Graham Portoy wis Harry Portoy’s son. Johnboy and the rest ae The Mankys tended tae ask fur Graham Portoy tae defend them anytime they wur due up in court. It wisnae because they thought he wis any good, because at the time, he wis a useless, bumbling basturt, jist starting oot as a defence lawyer. Johnboy’d hid everywan in stitches when he’d telt them aboot the public sherricking JP Donnelly hid dished oot tae the poor basturt at his trial. He’d telt the rest ae The Mankys aboot it, when he’d ended up in Thistle Park Approved School, oot in Paisley, where Tony, Joe and Silent hid been daeing time and efter that, everywan hid wanted tae meet the useless basturt in person, jist tae see how bad he wis fur themsels. That hid been long before he’d started tae get a good reputation fur successfully defending aw the stabbers fae the street gangs that wur scattered aboot Glesga. Johnboy and the other Mankys hid always goat oan great wae him and before too long, they’d aw been oan first name terms wae him. The Silent incident hid been the start ae a new relationship wae Graham. Whereas before, the boys hid used him through legal aid, and still did if they wur up oan charges, hiring him tae represent Silent hid been the best move they’d ever made. He wisnae cheap, bit he wis worth his weight in gold. Tony hid explained tae Graham that Silent hid goat lifted fur nothing as he’d jist arrived oan the scene, fresh fae approved school. The brief hid said that he’d get oan tae it straight away and see if he could get him oot that efternoon. Tony hid then gone oan tae explain aboot the fight earlier wae The Stalker. Tae gie him his due, Graham Portoy hidnae really wanted tae know anything aboot it, especially if they wur confessing tae him aboot breaking the law.