by Vance Huxley
“No.” Harold whispered because he felt ashamed, but Tessa deserved the truth. Orchard Close needed the coupons those games would have brought.
“So why for me?”
“Stones...”
The crash of the mug hitting the wall echoed as Tessa whirled, eyes wide and tears starting. “No it bloody wasn’t! Me and Stones were together for three years, and he last went abroad four years ago! You haven’t seen him for over three years, nobody has! Missing in action but the Army don’t even pretend he’s coming back.” Tessa’s voice dropped. “I don’t expect him back. We weren’t married or anything but Stones was fair, he put me and Eddie down as his dependants so we get the extra coupons. Everyone reckons that’ll stop soon.”
Tessa waved her hands at the house around them. “Being dependants didn’t stop the bastards leaving us to live like this. The MOD kicked even the married ones out of quarters if their bloke didn’t come back. They wanted the families of every soldier still in the country to be safe.” Her voice firmed up. “It wasn’t a love match, Harold, and even if it had been, you didn’t do this for Stones.”
“No.” Damn. Bloody women.
“So why?”
“Dunno. You’re too nice. I couldn’t see you treated like that, passed around the favoured few.” Harold blushed, the first time for ages. “He’d have brought you in and offered you to me when I visited, to wind me up because I always say no. I couldn’t have that.”
After a long pause, Tessa sat down. “Too nice,” she said quietly. “I can live with that. You are a soft sod, Harold, so how did you get such a reputation as a hard man?” She shook her head, a slightly mocking smile on her lips. “I had the shock of my life when they all called you Soldier Boy. You never said a word in the Mart. Soldier Boy has got a hell of a reputation with the Hot Rods.”
“I had to do a couple of hard things, for Sharyn and the kids. The nutters know about it, and that I was in the Army. They’ve seen me shoot, and”—Harold smiled happily—”they think I’m SAS or something.”
Tessa spluttered for a moment. Her face showed true delight for the first time since Harold had seen the young woman in the Mansion. “They don’t know? Oh, Harold, you brass-balled bastard. Oh, what I’d give to see that shithead’s face when he finds out!”
Harold lost his smile. “If he does, pray you are many, many miles awayin the next county, or country if possible. There are at least three gangs of homicidal lunatics, led by psychopaths, who are only being kept back by the legendary prowess of the SAS. If they find out I’ve made prats of them they’ll tear Orchard Close apart brick by brick, then burn it down to make sure they got me. When word spreads, there are nasty bastards all over the city who would come to piss on the ashes. It’s a pride and status thing, an insult to be washed away in blood.”
Tessa had gone pale. “But someone has to know.”
“Maybe, but there aren’t many ex-squaddies hereabouts that might have known me. If you didn’t actually see me, would you connect Harry the pay clerk with that nasty bastard Soldier Boy?” Harold knew there wasn’t much left of that Harry, the soldier who was a clerk because he didn’t like shooting at people. He’d turned into someone a lot more like Soldier Boy these days, even if his victims still came back at night to haunt him. “That’s why I try to get everyone to call me Harold. If someone sees me that knows the truth I either get to them first or run. If I run, everyone who doesn’t come with me will pay. If whoever it is doesn’t know about the stick, that might give me an edge. Just enough to get a start.” Harold looked Tessa in the eye. “So now, knowing that, would you like to come and live in Orchard Close, Tessa?”
Tessa looked back at him for long moments, then nodded. “Yes Harold, I think I’ll risk having to run so that my son can grow up in Orchard Close. Soldier Boy is a betterrole model for Eddie than Caddi and his lot will ever be. Hah, if you run, we’re coming with you.” She managed a little smile at the next thought. “Your girlfriend might surprise you and give you a bit of warning. She might even come with us.”
“I doubt Mercedes will live the year out because she’s getting reckless. But oh, can you imagine Caddi if she did?” It wasn’t Caddi Harold thought of, but Mercedes and that open shirt back in Orchard Close without the sound and vision. That worried Harold because the woman had got to him. Mercedes was supposed to do that, get to blokes, but knowing that should have allowed Harold to dismiss the show, the act.
*
With her future location settled, Tessastartedfretting about Caddi changing his mind or deciding her son wasn’t part of the deal. She went tocollect Eddie so they could leave before any Hot Rods turned up. Eddie, nearly five now with dark hair and eyes like his mum, had sprouted up again since Harold last saw him. Those big round dark eyes peeked cautiously at Harold from behind mum’s legs. Eddie knew Harold because they’d met in the Mart a few times, but the lad had already learned to be wary of men carrying weapons. Still, he seemed happy enough to be coming to live near ‘Uncle Harold’ and Wills and Daisy. Sharyn,another Army widow and single mum, had met Tessa before the Crash, so she already knew someone in Orchard Close.
Harold left the food with the erstwhile carers since there wasn’t much, and the furniture belonged with the house. Tessa rounded up her clothes, bedding, ornaments, her kettle, clock, several mismatched mugs, screw top pop bottles, pots, pans, crockery and cutlery, what would once be called hergoods and chattels. Despite her wanting to hurry, it took about an hour to make sure Tessa had taken everything she wanted.Not because of the amount,she just kept worrying she’d missed something. The whole lot went onto the back seat of the pickup, a pathetic collection. They could both remember when a move would involve vans and packing cases.
Harold finally shut the house door, leaving the keys inside as Caddi had told him to. He could have called for an escort from the Hot Rods but didn’t want the crudity about Tessa in front of her or her son. Harold couldn’t stop the gangsters harassing her, not here because Orchard Close rules didn’t apply. As it was, the neighbours were all watching from windows and doorways, many with knowing or pitying looks. A few wished her luck, and Tessa answered those with a wide smile and cheerful voice which puzzled the others. It wasn’t unknown for a woman to shack up with a gangster voluntarily, but they didn’t usually want a woman with a child.
Harold relaxed as he drove, relieved to be talking to a woman without a dozen scroats listening for a mistake or the woman working on getting him to commit suicide. The few occupied streets cleared as if by magic when a motor approached, so he had a clear run.
On the way, Tessa explained how she’d been sucked in by Pete. Tessa had found her little brother on her doorstep, badly beaten but not badly enough to cripple him. Pete had been terrified of what he’d been threatened with next. Tessa had believed Pete about the girl, or had been persuaded because Pete believed, and didn’t mind keeping her brother from getting beaten up again while earning the money. She’d thought Pete had learned his lesson.
Now Harold found out another little side-line. Caddi sometimes allowed girls to save themselves from the brothel, if they found someone who could afford the ransom. Those who could meet the price were usually a family that had managed to hide something valuable, from before the Crash, so Caddi probably took the girls because he’d got a hint. That had made the spiel from Fantasia at least believable, even if her name should have been a big hint. But Fantasia wasn’t trying to buy herself out. She might even be working off a debt to keep her own ass her own, another way to recruit.
They dropped the subject of using debt to control people, because that’s how Caddi had ‘recruited’ Tessa. Her brother ending up on Tessa’s doorstep, beaten up badly enough to worry her,hadn’t been a fluke. “What about Pete? Will he be all right now?” After all this, Tessa still worried about her little brother.
“The deal is that he gets enough crappy work to pay everything off, if he works hard.” Harold smiled at the memory. “I told Pete he would be a lot
keener with his own lily-white on the line. “
Tessa quietened for a couple of minutes, then smiled back at him. “How do you know mine’s lily-white? I might sunbathe and then it would be tanned?” Yeah, right, Tessa had to be joking.Every remotely attractive woman kept clothes on in public these days. If she showed some skin and they heard about it, the gangsters wouldn’t wait for a lass to sunbathe again to check.
Harold laughed and leaned back a little to glance at her backside. “Hmm, I might have to check out warm sunny places this summer. Just in case.” Tessa laughed, and Harold thought she had finally relaxed. Maybe because she was able to make jokes like that and just get a laugh.
*
As they drove down the last stretch from the traffic island to Orchard Close, a young teenage girl came out, heading across the road to the old caravan park. She looked nervous, jerking her head from side to side and jumping at shadows, so as he came nearer Harold pulled up andcalled her over. “Why are you out here, Elise?” Harold kept his voice calm, because Elise often froze when spoken to directly.
Even so Elise almost whispered her answer. “Trev asked me to test this radio. I thought it would be okay because Trev told me to. I’m sorry.”
Harold took the two-way radio from the girl. “No, don’t apologise. It’s not a problem. Go back in and tell Trev I’ll get someone else to do it. We wouldn’t want you to have an accident out in this rubble.” Elise headed for the gates, almost running until she got there.
Tessa looked round. “What’s the problem? It looks safe out here. What was she frightened of?” A fair question becauselong trenches full of dirt striped the wide area of tarmac beside the road, an area cleared of rubble. The one isolated,partially ruined house had a guard on it.
“Elise is frightened of shadows, bless her, and terrified at any hint of gangsters.” Harold curled a lip, glancing back down the road before answering Tessa. “There are a couple of Caddi’s blokes in the last of the ruined houses we just came past, because he likes to keep an eye on us. Technically that’s neutral territory and the caravan park is ours, but if a young lass like that wandered too near? She should have had a four-legged bodyguard at least, a big mastiff.” Harold’s annoyance faded as he glanced towards the nearest guardhouse. “To be honest, if any scroat triedfor herthis near the walls they’d probably get a fatal migraine.”
Tessa wasn’t convinced. “What if you aren’t here to shoot at them?”
She looked startled when Harold burst into laughter. “Wait until you meet Emmy, Roy and Alfie.They can all use a rifle and then there’s Patty the crossbow queen. Caddi upped the crossbow practice for his men when he saw Patty use hers; she loves either head or groin shots.”
Tessa looked suspicious, then relaxed when she realised Harold wasn’t joking. “So what was that girl doing out here?”
“Elise? Good question.I can’t see her volunteering to come out here, especially withouther doggy guard. Since Trev sent her, let’s test this radio and find out.” Harold held the transmit down. “Trev?”
“Yes? Who’s this? Where’s Elise?”
“Coming back into the compound where she should have been all the time.”
A long silence followed before Trev answered. “Harold?”
“Yes. Don’t give Elise any crap. I just happened to come up the road while she was out here. Without Thandia?” Normally Elise didn’t go anywhere without the mastiff.
“Er, no. Um, I told her to stay over towards the Army, and there wasn’t time to get the dog’s lead. There’s someone with a crossbow as a lookout on that side and lookouts on the gate.” Trev sounded defensive but not convinced he’d been wrong. There were lookouts on every side, but that wasn’t an excuse. Harold thought a moment.
“Would you come out here if a couple of Barbie Girls were hanging about?” Harold held out the radio so Tessa could hear the answer.
“Cripes! No! Are there Barbies out there?” Trev sounded nearly ready to wet his pants at the thought.
Tessa looked about ready to laugh, but Harold kept his voice very serious. “No, but you know that Caddi’s lads are out here, and that’s the same to Elise. Don’t you remember how she arrived?”
“Yes. Sorry. I didn’t think.” Trev didn’t sound that sorry, but definitely sounded rattled. “But I need the radio tested at a distance.”
Harold sighed loudly enough to be heard. “So you ask a bloke. I’ll ask someone this time, but no more sending Elise outside the walls.”
“Okay, I hear you. Sorry.”Trev still seemed more interested in his test. “How soon will the test be?”
Harold frowned, because Trev just wasn’t getting the message. “When someone else calls you? Which will be when I get around to asking someone?”
“Ah. Right.” The radio went dead as Trev realised who he’d been chivvying, and maybe heard the frown in Harold’s voice.
“Bloody hell, Caddi would love him. He’d be dead in a week.”
“Caddi might be annoyed, but he’dput up with it to get Trev. Trev fixes radios.” Harold gave a short laugh. “Trev should remember how he turned up. Bruised, limping, and hammering on the gate in the night begging for shelter.”
“Why?”
“Nobody knows, but the thought of any Barbies nearby scares Trev shitless. Elise turned up in a similar way so Trev should understand her situation.”
“Hammering on the gates?” Tessa looked after the lass in question. “She’s not very old.”
“Not hammering on the gates, but in a bad state and terrified of everything, especially scroats.” They drove up towards the entrance where Harold beckoned to Casper, standing with the gate guards.
Casper came up to the truck with his Dobermann cross, Amber, bouncing around on her lead. As Tessa got out he inspected her with a little smile. “Hello Harold. Did you have a lovely time at Caddi’s?” Casper’s smile widened because he knew all about the usual windups.
Harold climbed out of the cab. “Hi Casper. You know Tessa. Tessa and Eddie, that bouncy thing is a dog, honest.She’s called Amber and likes treats.Any chance of a wheelbarrow for the gear on the back seat, Casper?” Harold looked back at the old caravan park. “How come Elise went out there on her own?”
Casper glowered at the three guards. “I’ve just been asking the same thing. Elise came up and swore that Trev had said she’d be all right because of the lookouts. I’ve just explained the difference between a bloke with a machete and Elise with a radio.” The guards shuffled their feet a little,looking at the ground as Casper continued. “It won’t happen again, because I’ll have a chat with the rest as well.” He raised his voice. “Is there a wheelbarrow in any of the gardens nearby?” One of the men set off to look.
“Thanks Casper. Don’t be too hard on them, because they’re fairly new here and won’t know about Elise. At least they’ve volunteered to stand a watch.” Harold gestured at the heap on the back seat of the vehicle.”Tessa is here with Eddie because Caddi’s agreed she can join us in Orchard Close.”
Casper smiled at the pair. “Hi Tessa, Hi Eddie.” His smile faltered as he realised exactly what Harold had said. “Caddi’s being generous? Did you sell him a pint of your blood or something?”
“You know me, I’m a silver-tongued devil at times.” Harold had to get off how he persuaded Caddi because Tessa blushed. “I’ve organised some more work for Trev, and Caddi wants it done in a hurry.”
“We know. Patty had her crossbow with her biggest needle in it earlier, whena pickup truck arrived full of Caddi’s maniacs. They handed over a box full of radios and some charcoal, but had some work for you as well.” Casper’s eyes darted towards Tessa and away.
“Tessa knows about me and guns. Her bloke was Army so her and Sharyn can swap dirt and lies. I was thinking of that endterrace, the two bedroomed one that’s just dried out?” Harold broke off to thank the guard for the barrow, and started moving Tessa’s gear into it.
“It’s dry, but not ready to live in.” Casper glanced at
the meagre possessions and then Tessa. “Whereareyou staying tonight? The girl club are already overcrowded, and they’re a bit rowdy for a kid.”
Harold paused a moment, thinking. “Probably with Sharyn, then Eddie can double up with Wills. I’ll take her up there now.”
“Okay, I’ll get the rest sorted and your truck parked up. The repairs for you are outside your workshop with someone keeping an eye on them.” Casper looked a bit harder at Tessa and then Harold. “E-Type seems to be promoted to ET now. He was laughing about women fighting over you?”
“Mercedes, Caddi’s assassin? She’s been playing, spreading a little happiness around, and I’m her new chew-toy. It’s not a problem.” Harold picked up the barrow handles. “I’ll take these home for now.”
The three continued through the gate with the barrow,but Tessa glanced back. “So is Casper your heir, the one who’ll take over if necessary? He seems to have it all under control.”
“Not Casper, but not because he couldn’t.It’s just that a lot of the gangsters, and some men and women here for that matter, wouldn’t accept it. The likes of Caddi certainly wouldn’t. I told you Casper is our resident gay, when you met him at the Mart.” Harold laughed at Tessa’s second, longer look back.
“I thought that must be a windup,especially when he said he was the Orchard Fairy.” Tessa stilldidn’t sound completely convinced. “He’s not quite a stereotype gay, is he?”
“I know. A big, muscular bloke and he’s not the flamboyant, pink pantie type. But if you want a safe pair of hands to put sun cream on your lily-white, Casper’s your man.”
“I might not want safe.” The young woman had relaxed completely as they came through the gates. She seemed a lot more like the Tessa Harold remembered, the laughing girl hanging on Stones’s arm and flirting with the other squaddies.
“Careful, I’m a big bad gang boss. You know what we’re like at the merest hint of a lily-white.”
This time Tessa laughed out loud, startling little Eddie for a moment. She stopped to inspect the building they were approaching, a substantial four bedroomed house at the end of the original Orchard Close. Harold pointed at the house. “Sharyn’s in there. Go on in and get the character assassination over with before I get back. I’ll bring the rest of your gear.” Harold grinned at her and Eddie. “I’ve got Soldier Boy stuff to sort out.”