The Downfall Series Box Set

by Edie Baylis

  “Oh, so you think it’s funny do you?” Eliza spat, reaching for a bottle on the nearest table. “You’re nothing but a whore and I’m sick of your miserable face. It’s supposed to be my fucking birthday!”

  The music cut off mid-track and the lights flicked on just as Jane lost it. Not waiting to get glassed, she delivered a right hook to Eliza’s jaw, knocking her off her feet and over a table.

  As Eliza landed unceremoniously on the floor, Jane moved forward, but was held back by Seth, Davis and Digger. She thought she’d done well keeping her temper for so long but now she was being stopped from meting out justice to the stupid mare.

  “Leave it!” Seth growled.

  “Why the fuck should I?” Jane screamed, watching as someone knelt down on the sticky carpet next to Eliza and mopped at the thin trail of blood seeping from her mouth.

  Let her fucking bleed, Jane thought savagely as she shook Davis off her arm. “And you can fuck off as well!”

  “What did you start on her for?” Seth spat. “She’s supposed to be your friend!”

  Digger moved forward. “Eliza started it, Seth.”

  “Yeah, yeah, course she did,” he sneered not believing a word. He knew what Jane’s temper was like.

  Jane clenched her teeth hearing someone shout for an ambulance, whilst Eliza rolled around wailing about her face and her ruined birthday. Ambulance? For one fucking punch?

  She wrestled herself from Seth’s grip. “Fuck you, Seth. FUCK YOU!” Jane glared between him and Davis. “Enjoy the rest of your night, yeah?”

  Seth gritted his teeth, battling with himself not to give Jane a slap and seethed with rage as she stalked towards the doors.

  Digger faced him. “Don’t worry, mate. I’ll make sure she’s ok.” As he rushed after Jane, the rest of the group reluctantly followed, leaving Seth to glare in their wake.

  TWENTY ONE

  JAKE SAT ON THE MUDDY floor covered in rubble, unable to stop the tears from flowing down his face.

  Maggie leant her head against his chest and sighed. “Come on babe,” she soothed, trying to form her words coherently and smiled as he wiped a grubby hand over his face, leaving a streak of dirt across his cheek.

  “S-Sorry,” Jake stuttered, bursting into a fresh round of loud sobs which racked his entire body. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

  Digger scowled. After Jane’s impromptu exit from the Barrels, they’d staggered down the high street into the Oak Apple for a few before last orders, but ended up having more than that. It had taken a further half an hour to calm her from spitting venom over Eliza and Seth, but finally she’d got so drunk that nothing registered.

  After last orders, they’d found themselves side-tracking into a derelict cottage down an alleyway to save Jake from having an embarrassing public meltdown. The inside was nothing more than another old squat, illuminated through the hole where the window had once been by the dim light from the street lamp at the far end of the alley.

  Leaning against the cold brick wall, Digger fidgeted. The wall was not just freezing cold, but wet. He irritably shifted his weight from one foot to the other and glanced dispassionately at Jake’s shaking body. He knew what was wrong with him. It was always the same. Every time he got plastered he had a hysterical crying fit and tonight was no different. No different at all.

  Jane stood quietly. She was no longer cross about Eliza’s unexpected outburst, just hurt. She knew her friend’s trap ran away with her when she’d had too much pop, but she’d never turned on her before. Was what Eliza had said really what she thought?

  She didn’t know what to think anymore, especially as Eliza was far too drunk to think about anything properly. As for Seth, well, it was his fault she’d been in a foul mood in the first place. For him to automatically blame her for the shit with Eliza said it all really. That and how he hadn’t bothered to even come after her when she’d left the Barrels.

  Fuck him. It was quite obvious he didn’t give a shit about her anymore.

  Digger wrinkled his nose, feeling sick. God only knew what that bloody awful smell was. It was overpowering, like rotten animals. He’d better not step on a dead badger or something, otherwise he’d definitely lose his temper.

  “What the hell’s that?” Jane suddenly screeched. “I’ve just trod on something.”

  Moving towards her vague outline in the gloom, Digger flicked on his lighter, illuminating a carrier bag on the floor. Squatting down, he peered at it and picked at the knot of the bag.

  Maggie looked worried. “What is it?”

  “Don’t know yet, but it fucking stinks!”

  Jane lent down, placing a hand on Digger’s broad shoulder and screwed her face up in disgust. “Urrgh! That’s bloody hideous!”

  Digger peered into the bag. “It’s meat.”

  “Eergh! Don’t tip it out!” Maggie screamed.

  Digger eyed the fleshy greying lump of meat and a man’s hand lying in the dirt on the wooden floor and paled in the dim light. “HOLY FUCK!”

  Half of the forearm was still attached and dried silvery sinews trailed from the stump. A gold ring sat on the middle finger of the hand.

  “Oh Christ!” Jane swallowed down the bile threatening to rise up from the smell assaulting her nostrils.

  “What? What is it babe?” Maggie squeaked.

  “An arm and,” Digger scrutinised the greying lump, “a liver perhaps. Been here for a while, I’d say.”

  Maggie jumped to her feet and flapped her arms furiously. “Oh my God. OH MY GOD!” She started crying. “What if the rest of the body’s in here? What if I’ve been sitting on it?” Leaning over, she vomited violently onto the floor.

  “Oh, nice one!” Jake moaned as the vomit splashed over him. “Thanks!”

  “Calm it down, Mag. It’s obviously been here ages!” Jane snapped, pushing herself away from Digger’s shoulders.

  Digger steadied Jane when she wobbled precariously and found himself concentrating on her mouth. He realised with a jolt he badly needed to kiss her and would find it difficult to stop himself. Sweat began to bead on his brow. He knew his feelings would get too much eventually, but he couldn’t do that to his mate could he?

  The thing was, he missed Jane desperately and couldn’t get her out of his head. It was torturous seeing her with Seth all the time. With his head swimming, he tried to block the feelings swamping him.

  “I’ve got to get out of here!” Maggie screeched, peering through glazed eyes to try and locate the body parts. She zig-zagged blindly across the floor, screaming as Jake dragged her towards the open doorway.

  Jane moved away from Digger. She’d seen how he’d just looked at her and knew she was too drunk to be rational. Taking in his bulging muscles and massive chest, she swallowed. She had to get out of there before she took him up on what she could read in his eyes. It would be so easy to go with it. Seth didn’t give a shit anymore and she could do with some strong arms around her right now.

  Digger watched Jane wait to pass through the doorway and glanced at Maggie standing white-faced at the bottom of the stairs hyperventilating. He was torn. He knew what he wanted to do and knew it was wrong, but if he didn’t move now it would be too late.

  Digger’s heart lurched painfully in his chest when Jane stepped forward to take the stairs. Before he could change his mind, he reached through the doorway and grabbed her arm.

  Confusion flashed momentarily through Jane’s drunken eyes as Digger pulled her towards him before silencing anything she could possibly say with his mouth.

  SETH PACED UP AND DOWN. It was gone 1am and Jane still wasn’t back. Where the hell was she? Even the Oak Apple kicked out at 12.30, so she should have been back by now.

  Grinding his cigarette out on a bare floorboard, he scowled. The whole place might as well be an ashtray anyway. It was like living in a fucking underpass.

  He’d been pacing up and down for nearly a goddamn hour waiting for her and his feet were hurting. He was going to hav
e a right go when she finally showed her face.

  Picking at his fingers, he wished he could stop thinking. It wasn’t doing any use and just driving him mad. Maybe he should go to bed?

  No! Not without her.

  Peering out of the window, he glanced down on the high street for the eighteenth time and made the decision that Jane had ten more minutes before he’d go and find her. Plonking himself down on the sofa, he sparked up another fag and knocked back a couple of pills.

  He accepted things hadn’t been going too well lately and took the majority of the responsibility for that. He was letting the drug thing overtake stuff and admitted he was more out of control than usual, but he couldn’t help it. It was like being on a roundabout that wouldn’t stop.

  All this shit would have to be rectified somehow. He wasn’t prepared to lose her again.

  DIGGER GRABBED HARDER onto Jane as he took her against the doorway. He thrust into her, his free arm holding her tightly. “You’ve no idea how much I want you,” he growled, exploring her mouth greedily.

  Jane relished Digger’s familiar driving pace with wild abandonment. She needed it. The only thing putting her off slightly was the bag of human remains sitting three feet away and Seth, who kept flitting into her mind.

  Deciding not to dwell on either of those subjects, she fixed her concentration back to Digger as his body stiffened and slammed into her for the final time, releasing himself with an extremely loud groan.

  Doing up his jeans, Digger smiled. “I enjoyed that Jane. A lot.”

  “Best we keep this to ourselves,” Jane whispered, rearranging her clothes. Turning away, she walked through the doorway.

  “About time!” Jake winked as Jane made her way unsteadily down the stone steps. “We were about to give up and go home!”

  Digger followed, his face guilty even in the dim light of the streetlamp. He didn’t give a shit if Seth started on him, but the last thing he wanted was Jane to get grief because of him.

  Maggie’s first thought as the police car pulled up next to them as they walked up the high street was that they’d found the rest of the body. “Oh shit!” she muttered. “Pretend we know nothing about it.”

  Jane continued walking, “About what?”

  “The body, you idiot!”

  Jane was still laughing at Maggie’s paranoia when the police jumped from the car and blocked her path.

  “Finally caught up with you then, Ellerton? Knew you’d be lurking around somewhere, but at least you’ve saved us the trouble of going to your flat.”

  Jane stared at them. “What are you talking about?”

  “Jane Ellerton. I’m arresting you on suspicion of actual bodily harm.”

  “What the fuck? We didn’t do it!” Maggie screamed.

  Jane shot her a look, guessing this was nothing to do with the carrier bag of body parts, but everything to do with that silly cow, Eliza. So she’d gone to the cops had she?

  A policeman reached towards Jane to place the handcuffs on her wrists. “You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned, something you later rely on in court.”

  Jane instinctively pulled her arms away, only to be grabbed from behind by a second officer.

  “Anything you do say may be given in evidence.”

  Jane twisted away. “How about FUCK YOU! Will that do?”

  As she was hastily tackled to the ground with one policeman pressing his knee into the small of Jane’s back, Digger stepped forward. His bulk dwarfed the two policemen who eyed him suspiciously. “What’s this about?”

  “An incident up the Ten Barrels tonight, Sir. We’re taking Miss Ellerton in for questioning.”

  With some difficulty, between them the police managed to get the cuffs on Jane’s wrists. She glared at them with narrowed eyes as she was unceremoniously hauled to her feet. A hand pushed down on the top of her head and shoved her into the back of the car.

  “Someone tell Seth otherwise he’ll go fucking mental,” Jane shouted as the doors slammed.

  DIGGER PROCRASTINATED for quite some time before banging on the door of the flat. Seth opened it quickly and Digger clearly saw the disappointment flash across his face when he realised it wasn’t Jane.

  A fresh wave of guilt swamped him. He knew more than most how crazy this man was over her and he’d gone and done to Seth what he was always worrying about.

  The problem was, for however much Seth was in love with Jane, he was too and there was nothing he could do about it. If only she’d have him back, he’d prove to her that he’d learnt his lesson. He wouldn’t give her grief this time.

  Unfortunately, Digger knew in his heart that Jane didn’t want him. She only wanted the man that stood before him now. She’d just been extremely drunk, angry and hurt. He was a revenge fuck and he knew it.

  He tried to smile, quickly explaining Jane had been arrested again. Seeing the anger and frustration on Seth’s face, he was glad to leave and flinched when the door slammed with force behind him.

  Seth walked back into the lounge and glared at the dog. Before he could stop himself, he slammed his fist through the door in frustration. The splintered wood flew in sharp pieces onto the floor and a new crack ran up from the gaping hole.

  Fuck that hurt, Seth thought, shaking his hand gratefully. He needed the pain to take his mind away from the shit mess his life was becoming.

  Still, at least he’d got his mates.

  TWENTY TWO

  IAN LAY BACK ON THE sofa bed, ignoring the remains of last night’s kebab and relished the myriad of colours flashing in beautiful patterns behind his closed eyelids.

  He let the rhythmic pulsing and beat of the music from the turntable thrum through his addled mind and his breathing quickened as he increased the speed of his hand working his cock.

  He was fucking Maggie. Fucking her hard up the arse and making her bleed. He smiled to himself. She was sobbing as he twisted her breasts, digging his fingernails into her flesh and drawing blood. He grabbed the back of her head and yanked her hair, seeing it straining at the scalp as he gave her a slap. Oh this was good! Really good.

  His hand moved faster and faster as he imagined the fear in her eyes as he forced her to look at him. He was scaring the fuck out of her and looking every inch as deranged as he felt. Spittle sprayed in his beard as he slammed into her arse harder and groaned loudly.

  “Take it, bitch! You know you want it. BEG ME!” Ian shouted, imagining Maggie whimpering.

  “I love you Ian. I’ve always loved you and I’m sorry for leaving you. Fuck me. Fuck me harder,” she would scream.

  Panting loudly, his brain rushed as the orgasm approached. He’d remind her what she was missing. Oh yes, he’d remind her.

  The cheap.... Dirty..... Little.... BITCH!

  As the hot fluid shot out in a torrent and flowed onto his undone jeans, Ian’s hand gradually slowed to a stop and he tried to regain control of his ragged breathing.

  “Enjoying yourself?” Teddy laughed from the flea-infested armchair opposite. “Isn’t it time you got yourself back with her? That’s the third time this morning you’ve had one off the wrist and it’s starting to make me horny!”

  Ian opened his stoned eyes and grinned. “I’m working on it, mate. Working on it.”

  DAVIS PULLED HARD ON the wrench and applied more force to the nut. Why was it always the last one that was so bloody stubborn?

  Frustrated, he threw the wrench onto the concrete floor of the garage and wiped his hands down his oily blue overall. Stomping over to the workbench, he picked up the fags he’d sat on earlier and flicked his lighter into life.

  He was knackered, thanks to last night’s card game. He shouldn’t have got involved. Nor should he have lost a bloody wedge he couldn’t afford. The only reason he’d been playing in the first place was to win some dough, not bloody lose it. After all that he hadn’t even got home until 3am and it wasn’t like he was going to be able to get an early night because
he’d taken on extra shifts on the doors at the King’s. Working full time in the car garage as well was starting to take its toll on his energy levels.

  Running his hand through his floppy hair, Davis sighed and decided he really needed to sort something out. He fiddled with a screwdriver on the workbench.

  He needed a good woman. And had he got one? No. In fact, he hadn’t even got a bad one. As a bouncer he should have his pick of the girls. It wasn’t like he was short and fat like Spooner.

  Glancing at what he could see of his reflection in the grime-covered window, Davis scrutinised his well-built frame. He peered at his face and turned it from side to side. It wasn’t bad at all. In fact, he was pretty damn attractive if truth be known and he looked damn fine in his bouncer’s suit, even if he did say so himself.

  JANE TOOK YET ANOTHER call from a man enquiring when some items he’d ordered would arrive. “It should be with you tomorrow at the latest,” she smiled, trying to keep the boredom out of her voice.

  She was sick to the back teeth of this place. Actually, she was sick to the back teeth of everything, but at least she’d avoided the Spanish inquisition from Seth the other week. Being arrested had conveniently diverted any overspill from the incident with Digger in that cottage.

  However, on arriving at the nick she’d been placed in the holding cell where she’d been unceremoniously handcuffed with her arms over her head to the wire.

  After an hour, the door had opened and she’d immediately recognised the scowling copper to be a particularly sarcastic, slimy individual that even the other coppers hated.

  PC Ginning had smirked in her face with his little squinty piggy eyes and at close quarters he was even more revolting than when seen from afar.

  Jane shuddered. He’d made her skin crawl. She’d sarcastically informed him if he was unsure what she’d been pulled in for, perhaps he should look at her notes which would bring him up to speed.