by Clive Barry
‘I suppose we should get up then.’
‘Why? don’t yeh like layin’ here all naked next to us then?’
‘I absolutely love it Sal, but Paul and Mike will be back soon.’
‘Well that’s alright, they know where the kettle is don’t they?’
‘I’m sure they do, but I don’t know how they’ll react when they know what I did to their little sister.’
‘What you did! Hey listen mate, who dragged who up those stairs?’
‘Oh ya, it was all your fault, I forgot. I somehow don’t think Paul’s gonna believe that though.’
‘Well then that’s his problem not ours. We haven’t done owt wrong. We’re two consenting adults that decided to go to bed and shag each other’s brains out. What’s the problem with that?’
‘Well I’m on your side Sal.’
With that Dave put his arm around Sally and she snuggled in closer, spooning him.
‘Did yeh really mean what yeh said to us on the phone then Dave?’
‘What was that sweetheart?’
‘Oh, forgotten already ave we? Yeh said yeh thought yeh loved me, did yeh mean it?’
‘I thought I did at the time, but now I know I do.’
Sally sat up, threw her long legs over his waist and straddled him, bending over to kiss his now quite sore lips.
‘I know I love you David Riley.’
‘Well I know someone else that loves you Sal and if you insist on sitting there much longer he’s gonna wanna jump up and prove it all over again.’
Sally giggled like a school girl, jumped off the bed and ran naked into the bathroom for a pee.
When she came back, Dave was sat on the end of the bed still in his birthday suit. Sally jumped on his lap facing towards him with her arms around his neck, her knees on either side of his slim hips and her feet tucked between his knees.
Her small breasts were at mouth height so Dave gently went from nipple to nipple, sucking and kissing each one in turn. Within a very short time, he was hard all over again and entered her in that position, laying back and letting Sally do all the work. Surprisingly it didn’t take too long for either of them to reach their final destination, arriving at the same time.
‘Right woman, you win, I’m empty and I’m knackered. You’ve had your evil way with me.’
Dave lay back on the bed with Sally still straddling him.
‘Oh, no you don’t mister. I’ve only just started. It was you that released the beast in me, now it’s gonna take a lifetime for you to tame it.’
‘Ya, I can do that,’ he said and kissed her.
The two burly brothers knocked on the downstairs front door and burst in.
‘Sal, Dave, where the fuck are yeh? Away man put the kettle on we’re parched.’
‘Hang on, we’ll be down in a minute.’
‘Down in a minute, what yeh fuckin’ doin up there in the first place man?’
‘Don’t be so bloody daft our Paul. Mike try and explain to your older brother the facts of life will yeh, while I put some clothes on.’
‘So, what you two been up to while we been out busy graftin’ then?’
Mike was sat at the kitchen table with a stupid knowing smirk on his face. Struggling hard not to burst out laughing, at the same time trying his hardest to stir it up between his little sister and big brother.
It was Sally who answered, while Dave sat back quietly, an extremely satisfied glow covering his face.
‘Do yeh really need me to answer that question Mikey? cos I will if yeh really want us to and I’ll go into lotsa detail and exaggerate as well if yeh like.’
‘That’s enough, shut up you’s two. I don’t wanna fuckin’ know. We ‘ave other more important things we need to be considerin’ here, other than your fuckin’ love lives. So can we just get on with it please?’
The four of them having now all settled down, were sat around the small kitchen table. Mike had brought in some bread and cooked meats and Sally had made sandwiches for them all to share. This was the first food any of them had eaten that day and they’d only just realised how hungry they all were.
‘The other two are on their way and should be ‘ere sometime soon. I told them to come to your place Sal, then Mike and I can give them a quick look ‘round and they can get a feel for the place. We’ll all be sleepin’ at our house though, so we shouldn’t disturb you’s two love birds and the bairns, if that’s all right?’
‘Ya, no problem Paul, whatever you feel’s right is okay wi’ us.’
‘How much do you wanna know Dave? I don’t wanna put you in an awkward situation mate.’
‘Thanks Paul, I’ll just sit in if that’s okay. If I feel my position’s being compromised, then I might have to go up to the bathroom for a while.’
‘Okay mate, well understood. I’m not gonna start ‘til the others get ‘ere otherwise we’re doin’ it all fuckin’ twice. Let’s just sit back and relax, cos I gotta feelin’ we won’t be able to once this gets fuckin’ started.’
The four of them didn’t get much time to relax, a short while after they’d eaten there was a loud knock at the door. It was Paul who answered it and stepped outside, picking up in a bear hug a relatively small balding Scotsman with a very big attitude.
‘Put me doon yeh wee fucker, ‘ave a bit o’ respect will yeh.’
‘Jockie me old mate, it’s so good to see yeh.’
‘Aye a ken, it’s bin too long laddie. I’m so sorry for yeh loss though mate. It’s a very sorry affair to be losin’ yeh mammy and da like that.’
‘Cheers pal, away inside and I’ll introduce you to everyone.’
Introductions were being made, when there was another gentle tapping on the front door. This time Sally went to answer it thinking it might be a neighbour.
What she saw was not any neighbour from around this area. He might have been described more as an eclipse of the sun. His massive black frame covered the whole of the doorway, blocking any outside light from entering the tiny passageway.
‘I guess you must be the Timber then?’ Said Sally, tipping her head back to try and make eye contact.
‘Yes miss, that would be me. I’m looking for the Vicker,’ the big man replied in the softest, deepest educated baritone of voices.
‘Away inside then Timber love, they’re all waitin’ for yeh.’
Once the huge frame entered the house, there was no possible way out for anybody else. Hugs and handshakes were made and Pauls big frame was dwarfed by that of the Timber standing next to him.
As there was no room in the little kitchen, the table and benches were carried through to the living room and everyone made themselves comfortable there instead. Sally had already gone around and taken orders for tea and coffee. It was agreed by all that no alcohol would be allowed until all operations were completed and then they would either celebrate or commiserate.
Paul took over, explaining what his proposals were, with everyone free to question or add any ideas after he’d finished.
‘What I wanna do, is bring the lot of them Albanian bastards to a grindin’ halt. I wanna close their drugs on the streets and I really want the two at the top to feel pain. This town will be a much better place without them. I’m not naïve, I know that once they’re gone someone else will fill their place, but what I don’t wanna do is the bobby’s job. We let them do that cos they can do it far better than we can. We’ll be goin’ covert and we’ll start by hittin’ the pushers on the streets. Once we’ve done that, the big boys will stick their heads out of their shells to find out what’s appenin’, then hopefully we can make our move on them. Any questions?’
It was the Timber who spoke first in his deep rumbling voice.
‘What sort of measures do you want us to use on the pushers Vicker? How much force and to what outcome?’
‘Okay, from my point of view yeh can be as hard and ruthless as yeh fuckin’ like. They’re fuckin’ scum so take the drugs and money off them. We’ll store it somewhere
out of the way an’ give it to a charity or summit after. The money I mean, not the drugs. No killing though. A good hiding and a warning not to come back, but I don’t want the police lookin’ into our affairs for leavin’ dead fuckin’ bodies in the high street. Anyone else?’
‘What we gonna do wi’ the drugs laddie? None of us have any use for ‘em, do we destroy ‘em or what?’
‘Im not too sure Jockie. We can either get rid of it all later or hand it anonymously to the police and let them deal wi’ it.’
It was Dave who asked the final question of the day and probably the one on everybody’s mind. The one that no-one wanted to ask.
‘Paul, what’s gonna happen to the two at the top when and if yeh get to them?’
‘Fair question mate and I really wanna give yeh a straight honest answer, the truth is I don’t think I can right now. All I will say to you is they won’t be allowed to walk away from what they did to Mam and Dad. I just can’t allow that to happen, so if there’s no other questions I call this meeting officially adjourned.’
‘Wait! does anyone want owt from the kitchen, before I close it?’
There were smiles all round and the shaking of heads at Sally’s only input of the whole afternoon.
‘No thanks little sis. Mike and me are gonna take these two for a ride ‘round our fair city and show them the sordid sights, then back to our place. I think if we start to hit them later tonight they won’t be expecting it, at least they won’t think it’s us involved. I did manage to get a list of names and addresses to start us off with though. If yeh got a mo’ Dave can yeh step outside mate.’
‘Ya, of course.’
Dave followed Paul out into what was loosely termed the back garden of the house and they turned to face each other.
‘Listen kidda, our Sal thinks the world of you. Yeh can see that a fuckin’ mile off and I got a hunch your quite smitten wi’ her too, but I need a big favour from yeh?’
‘Just ask mate, if I can I will.’
‘Good lad. I don’t know how this is all gonna pan out and I need to know my little sister’s gonna be okay. For the next while I’m gonna be busy, so I need you keepin’ an eye out in case any bad lads turn up. Yeh know what I mean?’
‘Paul, are you askin’ me if I wanna have a sleep over with your sister?’
‘Uh ya! I guess that’s exactly what I’m fuckin’ askin’.’
‘Have no fear mate. I can’t get too involved with what you’re doin’, but there’s no one gonna get near Sal and the bairns, I’ll make sure of that.’
‘I kinda thought you’d say that our lad, welcome aboard.’
The lads all said their goodbyes to Sally and Dave, leaving them on the doorstep while Mike got in the Timbers white Ford transit van and Jockie got into the Mondeo with Paul, leaving his red Mini Cooper parked outside Sally’s house. They all waved and followed Paul out of the estate.
Dave had his arm around Sally’s shoulder holding her close to him, then he turned to her and asked.
‘Hey Sal, I don’t suppose there’s any chance I could sleep over at your place tonight is there?’
‘Did our Paul put you up to this?’
‘He may ‘ave hinted it would be a good idea, but I was gonna ask yeh anyhow.’
‘Well only cos you was gonna ask us anyhow, then ya. But we gotta get the kids yeh know that don’t yeh?’
‘Ya, I figured.’
‘Good, cos yeh can come with us now and fetch them from Jenny’s place.’
CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
Paul had Jockie in his car, followed by the Timber and Mike behind, driving around showing them the abysmal sights of the local slum districts.
They all managed to pass several of the dealers standing cold and damp in the abandoned streets of the city, while driving around the derelict areas where nobody in their right mind would want to wander at night unless they were desperate.
They drove, watching the young girls on the street corners, some no more than children. Trying their hardest to trade their wares, with no buyers currently interested. All the punters knowing that the longer the girls waited the more desperate they would become to make money for their pimps and then the prices would begin to plummet.
They drove past at least half a dozen of the drops on Pauls list and knowing there were at least another twelve left that could be sabotaged in the early hours when honest working people were fast asleep in their beds and not so honest people were out trying to make a score of one description or another.
The two vehicles circled around for another hour and nobody seemed to be taking any notice of them. Why would they, no one had ever posed a threat in the past, so why would they start now.
They did one last quick tour of the immediate area, then headed back to Paul and Mikes place for a few hour’s respite and food before they made the first of several midnight sorties into the world of drugs, prostitution and unequivocal violence.
CHAPTER FIFTY
Sally and Dave walked hand in hand out of the little council house towards Jenny’s place to pick up the kids. As they came to the end of Frazer Avenue a fire tender went past in the opposite direction making Sally catch her breath.
No more would she be able to walk the other way to visit her sweet Mam and Dad. No more cups of tea in the afternoon while gossiping about the evening soaps on the telly the night before, with dad giving his opinions. Or surprise Sunday lunches with all the family together. The tears started to flow all over again and she buried her face in Dave’s chest sobbing uncontrollably.
They both stood on the corner with Dave’s arms wrapped tightly around her, eventually the sobbing subsided.
‘Do yeh want to go back home sweetheart?’
‘No, I think I’ll be alright now, it just came over us when I saw that fire engine go past and I realised I’m never gonna see me mam and dad again.’
‘Up to you Sal, we can go to Jenny’s or home. Whatever you want. In fact, I could go and get the kids by meself and you could have a lie down.’
‘No, babe. Life goes on as me Mam would ‘ave said and life is in them two bairns. Besides they make me laugh and I could do wi’ a good one of them about now.’
At that, hand in hand they continued with a more determined step up to Jenny’s house and knocked.
Jenny answered almost immediately and stood aside to let them both in. Once inside Jenny took Sally in her strong arms and held her. The tears flowed all over again and Sally’s shoulders wracked with the sobbing. After a few minutes Sally regained her composure and wiped her nose on the back of her hand.
‘Yeh ‘aven’t got any tissues ‘ave you Jen. I’ve got snot everywhere.’
‘Aye lass, here’s some kitchen roll, use as much as you like.’
‘The way I’m feelin’ I may use it all Jen. Oh what a baby I’ve turned out to be.’
‘Nay lass, your no bloody baby. Your just a sweet young thing whose hearts been broken and yeh need time for it to repair itself. Away, I’ll put the kettle on, the kids are watchin’ telly, they’ve had their tea’s so just leave them be for a while.’
Sally and Dave sat at the kitchen table with Jenny making coffee for everyone. They talked about what the kids had been doing and saying and it seemed they were unaware of what had happened to their nan and grandad. That was something Sally was going to have to rectify when they got home later.
‘Do they know how the fire started then Sal, has anyone said owt yet?’
Sally looked over at Dave before answering
‘All we know is what our lads found out from one of the fire bobby’s earlier this mornin’ and that it appeared to have been started on purpose. But we don’t know who or why, that will be investigated by the police later. There’s nowt official been said yet.’
‘But who would wanna hurt your mam and dad, they were a lovely couple.’
‘I know that Jenny, but there’s some really sick people out there yeh know.’
There was nothing mentioned to Jen
ny about Albanians or what Paul and Mike were up to. That was on a strict, need to know basis.
They both drank their coffee, then collected the kids from the living room. Thanking Jenny for having them.
All four walked the short distance home, listening to the little one’s telling them what they’d been up to all day and what their plans were going to be at school the next day and who they were going to be playing with.
Sally ran their baths and got the two kids ready for bed. But tonight, instead of telling them a bedtime story, she and Dave sat together on the edge of the bottom bunk to talk to them and between the tears and the hundreds of questions, they managed to let the bairns know that nana and grandad had passed away and they wouldn’t be seeing them anymore.
Sally kissed them both before shutting the door over. Then her and Dave went downstairs into the living room and cuddled up on the sofa.
‘Shall we ‘ave an early night then Dave? Cos you were up all last night.’
‘You must be knackered as well sweetheart, yeh didn’t get much sleep yourself.’
The two of them went upstairs and got into bed. Holding each other close and with one thing leading to another, they made gentle, slow love, falling into a deep sleep in each other’s arms after.
CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
‘Okay lads, we all ready to go? Have you all got everything yeh might need? If we can use your van Timber it’s a bit less conspicuous than my car. A couple of us can get in the back with the gear and if we alternate, hopefully no one will be able to give a clear description of anyone in particular.’
Paul had taken charge. The two ex green berets were used to this. Paul had got them out of many a nasty scrape when they’d served in Afghanistan so the two of them were more than comfortable with this arrangement.
They drove into the city and found their first victim in a darkened doorway, handing out a small package to a dishevelled punter using only one hand, the other never leaving his jacket pocket.
‘I’ll take this first one wi’ you Jockie. You walk straight past, then when I start talkin to ‘im you can double back behind and keep an eye out. You two stay in the van out of the way, but if yeh see or hear owt let us know.’