Book Read Free

Angel Blood

Page 14

by John Singleton


  Nail shrugged.

  ‘Hope she's going to be OK,’ said Natalie.

  ‘What about Naz?’ said Nail.

  ‘Sorted,’ said Natalie winding up her window. ‘Now let's get out of here. Go, go, go.’

  ‘OK. OK, Nats,’ said Nail. ‘Natalie. Stay cool. Police can take this van down to nuggets now and they won't find booty anywhere.’

  ‘Booty?’

  ‘That was a bit of second-hand trading for Coddy, Kenno's dad. Say no more.’

  ‘Oh, God,’ said Natalie.

  Nail turned out of the car park. He shot a glance at the girl. ‘You did offload the stuff, didn't you?’ he said.

  Natalie nodded.

  ‘Well, most of it,’ she said.

  ‘Most?’ cried Nail. ‘What happened?’

  ‘It wasn't my fault. The cameras started so we had to stop. I was inside helping that Naz yip when they started. I just had to go.’

  ‘Sod it.’ Nail gritted his teeth. ‘So we still got stuff on board?’

  Natalie nodded. ‘If you'd said earlier.’

  ‘Christ, if we get nicked. Hell, Nats.’

  ‘Hell, you,’ said Natalie.

  Too late now thought Nail as he swung the van down the central roadway towards the security barrier.

  5

  A man was standing in their path his hand up to halt them.

  It wasn't Dougie.

  ‘We're shot here,’ Nail said. He wound the window down. ‘Just play all over cooperative. They like you wagging tail.’

  I'll give you cooperative thought Natalie. He could have warned her earlier about the dodgy gear. Was she crazy or what? Playing bandit queen in some criminal gang running bootleg hosiery with a nutter boy she hardly knew.

  ‘Anything wrong, sir?’

  ‘Out!’ said the guard.

  Slowly Nail opened the door.

  ‘Over here. Legs apart.’

  Just then Natalie got out and stood up facing them both with her arms resting on the top of the door. ‘Officer, officer, it's my ma. There's been an accident. I've gotta go. Tell my dad.’

  Officer? Officer? thought Nail. Natalie, he's a plod with a badge for God's sake. Then he lit up to what she was doing. Officer! Nice one, Nats. Pat him with a bit of promotion and he'll bark us through.

  ‘Looked like they attacked her,’ said the guard.

  ‘Attacked?’ Natalie put hands over her mouth and smothered a scream.

  ‘I'm sorry about that, I thought you'd know,’ he apologized. ‘I heard some of the kids were getting wobbly. They say they can be right maniacs if they miss their medication.’ The guard paused. ‘Have you seen the doctor?’

  Just then the guard's radio crackled.

  He walked a few steps away, ear down.

  Nail breathed hard. He could hear the muted rasp of another voice.

  That freaky doctor he thought.

  ‘Yes, Doctor Dearly. Straight away. There's one here now.’

  Could be trouble said Nail to himself.

  He glanced across the roof of the van at Natalie. She was running her hand through her hair. She pulled a face at him. Nail frowned. She was up to something.

  The guard was back.

  ‘Sorry, miss, but…’

  Natalie stopped him with a burst of sobbing.

  ‘I'm sorry, we've got to do vehicle searches,’ he said trying to be determined. ‘Is the back locked?’

  Suddenly Natalie turned it up. ‘Attacked?’ She screamed. ‘Attacked?’ She began crying gushes. ‘Ring the doctor. Ask him. Ask him.’

  Nail watched her amazed. Was she real or was she Oscar!

  ‘OK, miss, OK. I'm sure she'll be all right soon.’

  ‘I just want to go home,’ Natalie blurted. ‘I just want to go home.’

  ‘It won't take a minute. I can assure you.’

  ‘What if she's dead?’ Natalie turned to Nail. ‘What if she's dead?’ She banged and banged on the roof of the van.

  Nail gawped at her.

  The guard took a step backwards.

  She turned on him. ‘You knew and you never told me,’ she jabbed a wicked finger at his chest.

  Don't overdo it, Nats, Nail was thinking. Don't overdo it.

  Nail could see the guard calculating the odds, thinking that if he took another step forward the mad girl would deck him one, Bin style.

  Then he'd be in for the needle and a stretch in the fog thought Nail.

  Natalie was shrieking now, going hyper. She was right off the dial.

  ‘For God's sake, get her out of here,’ the guard said suddenly, turning to Nail. ‘Give her a whisky workover and shut her up.’

  Nail went round the front of the van and helped Natalie into her seat.

  ‘Do the belt up,’ she whispered. ‘Show you care.’

  He clipped her in safely.

  Once back in the driving seat he juggled the lever into first and edged forward.

  Not too quick. The jimmy might change his mind.

  6

  Neither of them said a word for a while.

  ‘Phew,’ whistled Nail. ‘What were you on there?’

  Natalie was doing deep breathing.

  ‘Well anyway, good one, Nats.’

  ‘Natalie.’

  ‘Natalie. Come on. What bottle of stuff did you get all that heavy from?’

  ‘That's called emoting and you get it at drama class, Toe Nail.’

  ‘Nail. Now, let's find a pint.’

  He turned off the main road on to a steep narrow lane. ‘Back way,’ he said. ‘Forest trails and no police. He glanced at Natalie. ‘No licence,’ he said.

  She groaned.

  They drove in silence for a while.

  ‘Come on,’ said Nail at last, ‘we're out of it. I'm sorry I didn't tell you about the delivery to Naz. How was I to know those wacky cameras would roll?’

  ‘You shouldn't have used me like that. If I'm going to be a part of some dodgy scam you and that Kenno are running I'd like to know,’ she snorted. ‘So I could tell you both to get stuffed.’

  Nail said nothing, but swore quietly. What was such a big deal? They were out, weren't they? Nobody was arrested.

  ‘And what would happen if I'd got caught, eh? Didn't think of that, did you? No, it was Nail, hard as, the big gob, keeping his head down and letting someone else take the rap.’

  Nail closed his eyes. Was she a razor mouth or what?

  ‘Look, it won't happen again,’ he said.

  ‘Too right,’ she said. ‘Now you can get me home.’

  They'd just entered a heavily wooded area when suddenly they heard a strange moaning sound.

  ‘What the hell was that?’ Nail slowed. ‘Was that us? Was that from the back?’

  ‘Oh, no!’ Natalie exclaimed.

  ‘Now what?’ said Nail.

  ‘There's something you need to know,’ she said. ‘Stop the van.’

  Nail braked, slowed down, stopped.

  As he pulled on the handbrake there was a bang from the back.

  ‘It's OK,’ he said. ‘Probably that naff door.’

  He got out.

  ‘Wait,’ said Natalie.

  Nail stopped.

  ‘We've got somebody inside.’ She was standing beside the van head hung down.

  Nail leant on the roof and looked across at her.

  ‘Not Naz, you mean?’

  Natalie shook her head. She held up three fingers.

  ‘Three?’ he said. ‘Three what?’

  Then he ran round to the back and yanked open a door.

  CHAPTER 18

  Riding the Leopard

  1

  Nail gawped.

  Three kids.

  He stood up. ‘Christ, Nats. There're three kids in here.’

  Natalie didn't move.

  ‘And one of them's got no… eyes.’

  He swung round. ‘They've got to be some of those freak kids, haven't they?’ He stared disbelievingly at Natalie.

  She stared back.<
br />
  ‘Even half a brain could work that out,’ she said.

  Nail scowled.

  ‘What were you thinking of? They're retards.’

  ‘I couldn't just leave them, could I?’ she said.

  Nail made no sense of it. ‘How did they get in there? How did they get out of the place?’

  Natalie looked down. ‘I just couldn't leave them,’ she whispered.

  2

  Nail closed the doors and walked round the van and stood beside her

  ‘Course you could,’ he hissed. ‘What do you think we are? Junior Oxfam?’

  ‘OK. OK. They were there. Inside the van. I came out of Naz's place and they were there. In the van. I didn't have time to ask questions. I slammed the doors and got out. And then you came back, and there was all that stuff about Coddy's ma and then Security trying to boot search us. I just forgot about them till just now when we heard them.’

  Nail slammed the roof. ‘You forgot! Yeah! Sure, you forgot we had a van load of noddies on our backs.’

  One of the kids wailed inside.

  ‘Jeez, Nats. So that was why we got all that performance at the security gate. You were running a side bet of yer own, bootlegging kids.’

  ‘Get stuffed, Nail. If it wasn't for me you'd be down the nick up to your ear in body stocking.’

  ‘So who's not telling now, eh?’

  Natalie said nothing. Be fair, she couldn't have just dumped them. She'd run out of Naz's place and only glimpsed them as she slammed the door. She'd checked the back window. They were sitting arms round each other stiff with fright like a nest of flightless chicks. No, she couldn't just throw them out. She'd had no time to think. Yes, if she'd had more time, well, she might have done something else. Got rid even.

  ‘They were just there,’ she said.

  ‘Just there!’ mocked Nail. ‘Like every day you pick up a vanful of freaks and take them wheelchairing round bonny Scotland.’ Nail turned away exasperated. ‘God, Natalie. What were you thinking of?’

  ‘They looked so lost. Anyway who said they were freaks?’

  ‘Everybody says so. That's what Bin Linnie is. It's freak factory.’

  ‘That's just newspapers and gossip for you.’

  Nail threw his hands in the air. ‘One of them has no eyes, Nats. No eyes. Another one has no hair and blood dribbling from his mouth. I've just seen it.’

  He stepped into the road and looked at the van.

  What the hell had she got them into?

  ‘Anyway,’ said Natalie after a few moments, ‘they can't be that daft if they can get out of the Bin.’

  ‘They only got out because you were stupid enough to help them. And do you really think they can survive out here?’

  ‘Why not?’ said Natalie. Nail was beginning to get up her nose. Only interested in his own little life. Piss on everybody else. ‘Why not?’ she challenged him. ‘Blind people do.’

  ‘At least they have eyes,’ said Nail.

  ‘What's that got to do with it?’

  ‘Everything. Being blind's one thing, having no eyes is another. It's not right. Not normal. You can't go wandering round the place like that.’

  ‘Why not? It doesn't hurt you.’

  Nail frowned. ‘Well, they're not staying here. Not in the van. They'll just have to…’

  ‘Have to what?’ said Natalie. ‘Wander round the place? On their own? Come on.’

  ‘Come on nothing. What did you think was going to happen letting out a load of seconds like that?’

  ‘Stuff you, Nail, I didn't let them out. Like I said they were just there. I didn't think. I told you. I didn't have time to think.’

  ‘So, little fairy godmother Natalie said, “In you get, children, and we'll taxi you to the end of the rainbow!”’

  ‘Stuff you, Nail. Stuff you. What are you scared of here? They'll get up and bite? Suck your blood?’ Natalie slapped the roof of the van.

  Suddenly from inside came a strange howling noise.

  Natalie ran round and looked through the rear door window. It was the little no-eyes mewling. She was clinging on to the blonde girl.

  Jeez. How thin her arms were! Like candlesticks.

  She pulled one of the doors open.

  The three kids shrank back.

  ‘It's OK,’ said Natalie. ‘It's OK. No one's going to hurt you.’

  ‘Yes, yes,’ said the bald one his lips gleaming red. ‘Lights Out says the leopard's coming.’

  ‘We've got to go now. Hurry before it's too late,’ said the girl.

  ‘Right,’ said Natalie, backing off. ‘Stay where you are. You'll be safe there.’ She closed the door gently.

  ‘Something's frightened them,’ she said quietly to Nail.

  ‘The little one's petrified. She's lost it. They all have.

  The think there's a leoard after us.’

  ‘A leopard?’ said Nail. ‘Sure. Big-cat-with-spotty-fur type right?’

  Then they heard a car coming.

  ‘Could be Security.’

  They dashed to the van.

  Nail floored it. The exhaust snarling in response.

  Up the road and then down a track into the forest.

  ‘Hold on. Hold on,’ cried Natalie. ‘You'll kill them. You'll kill us all.’

  From the back the howling got louder.

  ‘Spotty cat's gaining on us,’ laughed Nail bitterly.

  ‘Slow down. Slow down,’ Natalie screamed, gripping the safety belt but unable to buckle it in position.

  Nail eased up a little.

  All he'd wanted was to shoot a few pints with the girl and see if there was game on or not.

  And now? Now, he was doing safari safari, hot-rodding Coddy's crappy van through the Garvie forest pursued by leopards and carting a backload of noddies from the funny farm.

  ‘Stop will you. They'll fall to bits,’ Natalie was shouting. ‘They're delicate. You've probably broken one of them, that's why they're bawling.’

  ‘I don't care if they're ping pong china dolls,’ said Nail, ‘we need to find some quiet and get this bleedin' mess sorted out.’

  3

  A few minutes later he pulled into a clearing and stopped under the shady awning of some massive conifers and beside a wall of sawn logs crudely roofed with sheets of corrugated aluminium.

  He left the engine on and growling quietly. He wasn't staying long. Sort them out, take them back he was thinking.

  ‘They need cleaning up,’ said Natalie. ‘It smells in there.’

  ‘Yeah,’ said Nail. ‘You sort them out, then we take the little monkeys back. No messing.’

  They got out and Natalie opened up the back again.

  Nail stood to one side. He could see the bald one's lips were glossed with blood, and a fang of red ran from one corner of his mouth down the chin. The little eyeless one was tremblin in the arms of the irl with the blonde hair.

  Bloodsuckers thought Nail. Banged up for years probably screws you up big time.

  ‘Don't let the leopard in. No leopard please,’ said the blonde girl.

  Natalie threw up her hands. ‘There is no leopard.’

  ‘But we can hear him. He's been after us all the time. Lolo hates leopard.’

  ‘They are one hundred per cent bonkers,’ said Nail. He peered in at the three kids. ‘That's all we need, nutters.’

  ‘Shush,’ said Natalie.

  ‘It's growling and snarling.’ The girl was nodding and nodding.

  ‘What is she jabbering on about?’ said Nail.

  ‘Something's scaring them,’ said Natalie.

  The little one called Lolo mewed.

  ‘Turn the engine off, Nail,’ said Natalie all of a sudden. Soon as it died the kids quietened.

  ‘That's the leopard,’ she said. ‘They'e never been in a van before. Leaping and roaring down the road the way you drive, not surprising they thought they had a leopard after them.’

  ‘You were the one wanting to varoom varoom out of it. Leopards? They're bonker
s, Nats. Like you.’

  ‘You're not getting it, Nail, are you? It's just their way of saying they're scared. Think of it, these are kids banged up for most of their lives. They're not going to see things like you and me, are they? You just have to tune in and listen to their song. Right?’ Natalie gave him a frown.

  ‘Coddy's van a leopard, Natalie? Get real. Tune it much as you like it's still a mongy wheelie bin.’

  Natalie closed her eyes. Why did boys have to be such planks?

  Nail peered over her shoulder. The three kids were nudged up together and now had their backs turned towards them.

  ‘They look like scabby monkeys in there,’ he whispered.

  ‘Better get them down,’ said Natalie. ‘Check them out.’

  Nail backed off.

  No way was he touching them. Nats could do it. She was the one who opened the cage in the first place. Only right she should sort them.

  ‘I'm out of it,’ he said and wandered off in the direction of a large tree. He leant back against the trunk and slowly slid down till he was sitting hunched on a bedding of soft pine needles. He stretched out his legs.

  Natalie watched him. ‘Selfish git,’ she thought. Sitting there like some Saturday night loser wellied on the pavement.

  She was angry at him, sure, but more annoyed with herself. He could at least have helped her clean the kids up. She thought she had him sussed. How annoying was that! She had him down as a good for a laugh type, a hot boy, neat cover. But a soft number underneath. Well, she was wrong, wasn't she? Inside were bad tracks, hard ego. Nothing else.

  ‘It's OK,’ she said to the kids. ‘No one's going to hurt you.’

  4

  I lick my lips. They're warm because I've blooded out because we were monkey scared and I went onion skin. Chicken Angel is doing gently gently on my arms and back. ‘You've forgotten your gloves,’ she whispers.

  Too late now as Moose would say.

  Suddenly the girl is standing looking in at us.

  We all look at her.

  She hands us a bottle of water. I take some, wipe off the blood and hand it to Chicken Angel. She feeds Lolo and then she takes a drink herself.

  The girl has got crinkly hair like Lolo but it's blonde like Chicken Angel's. She's has a red jacket and mammaries like Chicken Angel.

  She says it's OK for us to come out. She's going to help us and we are in a big forest.

  She reaches in and Chicken Angel takes her hand. Lolo holds on to us both and together we have to crawl towards the girl. We are like a three-headed animal. Once we saw a freak pig with two heads on The Natural World. But we are not freaks so that's not right to say we're like that pig. Not freaks, no. We're one-headed kids like everybody else.

 

‹ Prev