The Downfall Series Box Set

by Edie Baylis

  He smiled. Paul could definitely go fuck himself. Yet again he’d had to put up with his bleating about not doing anything to Jane, just Seth. As far as Stuart was concerned, it was well past that. It was personal from his side now, not just Paul’s.

  Anyway, he didn’t give a flying fuck what that retard wanted, but to shut him up he’d nodded politely. After all, if Paul knew what he’d got planned he’d go even more loopy.

  If that was possible of course.

  Grinning to himself, Stuart watched as a man took some ginger bird hard up the arse. Yeah, the video was a bit corny and he could have done without it being in German, but it wasn’t like he was going to miss an in-depth storyline by not understanding what the fuck they were saying was it?

  Pushing his hand under the duvet he rummaged around in his boxer shorts and took hold of himself.

  ELIZA GUIDED SETH’S HAND between her legs, but he pulled away. Why was he ignoring her?

  Seth scowled. He didn’t want to kiss Eliza and certainly didn’t want to fuck her. Feeling extremely uncomfortable, he propped himself on his elbow and shook his head to try and clear the fog enveloping his mind. When Eliza’s hand snaked up his thigh towards his groin once more, he yanked her hand away again.

  “What’s the matter? Don’t tell me you’re going to leave me frustrated?” Eliza whined.

  Seth attempted to give her some form of smile. “That’s exactly what I’m telling you.”

  Eliza was too drunk to think rationally. She was gagging for him, but all he’d done was kiss her. Jane said she could have him tonight, so what was his problem for God’s sake?

  Her eyes narrowed. She wasn’t in the mood for this. “What the fuck’s wrong with you?”

  “Nothing’s wrong with me,” Seth hissed, the smile disappearing and his previous good mood evaporating. He took another long swig of whisky. He’d do a couple more lines of coke, then find Jane and see if they could go home. He’d had enough of this bullshit.

  CLINT PANTED HEAVILY as he pulled Jane’s leg up around him and pushed into her against the wall. God, she felt good. What a fucking cracking party! His free hand grasped at her breast as he ignored someone squeezing past to the toilet. They’d had to step over seven couples on the stairs as it was to find this space.

  Through the mist of weirdness in Jane’s head, the beat ramped up again, thundering along and crashing against the side of her brain like a high tide. “Faster,” she muttered digging her nails into Clint’s buttocks.

  Upping his pace further, Clint rammed into Jane as hard and fast as possible, realising he wouldn’t last much longer.

  ELIZA TRIED TO PULL SETH towards her again.

  “Leave it will you!” he slurred angrily, wishing she’d just fuck off.

  Huffing, Eliza straightened her hair and pushing herself angrily to her feet, staggered off red-faced in Maggie’s direction.

  Seth glanced around the room, but couldn’t focus on anything at all. Shit. He needed to go home.

  Shoving two loose pills from his pocket into his mouth, he hoped they’d do something. They had to. He had to straighten up because he felt like he was in treacle.

  Unsteadily pushing himself to his feet, he slugged down the remains of the whisky and tossed the empty bottle to the floor while attempting to get across the other side of the room.

  Was that Jane on the stairs?

  Seth tried to make his way over, but the walls closed in and the floor moved in opposite directions with each step he took. Blinking rapidly, he concentrated through his tunnelled vision on the figures in the dark and a wave of rage roared through him realising it was Jane with Clint.

  Leaning against the wall at the bottom of the stairs to keep himself from hitting the deck, Seth took a deep breath. He was far too fucked up to do anything with the anger that washed over him like a tidal wave. An overwhelming feeling of panic enveloped him as he stumbled towards the front door.

  “Seth?” Maggie grabbed his arm. “Are you ok?”

  Seth saw see sixteen copies of Maggie circling around slowly in a large haloed arc and his feet began sinking into the carpet as if it was quicksand. “Going home,” he muttered in a virtually intelligible slur. “Get Jane!”

  Maggie’s stomach sank with dread as she watched Seth crash against the kitchen work surface, rip open the front door and disappear into the night.

  FORTY TWO

  JANE SWAYED UNSTEADILY and looked around. She’d no idea how she got back to the flat, but knew something was wrong as soon as she did because it was deserted. Why had it taken Maggie an hour to let her know Seth had left the party in a state?

  She wondered how she’d managed to be so fucking stupid to think he’d be ok about her and someone else. She’d been so wired and after she’d brought him out of his earlier downer she’d thought he’d be alright with things. Panic rose within her. He’d better not have done something stupid. She should have known he’d never share her.

  Taking the stairs three at a time, Jane ran faster than she thought possible whilst trying to stop the floor from moving.

  Nearing her car she saw Clint. “What the hell are you doing here?” she screamed.

  “Hey baby,” Clint smiled, reaching to touch Jane’s hair. “Thought you might want to carry on?”

  Jane attempted to focus on his handsome face and pushed his hand away. “Are you mad? Get out of my fucking way!”

  Clint followed as Jane staggered towards the car. “Hey, what’s the matter? Are you ok?”

  Turning, Jane scowled angrily. “Does it look like it?” Tears threatened as she pulled at the door handle. “Seth’s disappeared.”

  Grabbing her arm again, Clint smiled. “Don’t worry about him, he’ll be alright. Stay with me.”

  “Get off me, Clint!” Jane ripped her arm away. Seth wasn’t ok. He wasn’t with her and she needed to find him.

  “You can’t drive like that!” Clint yelled as Jane fell into the driver’s seat.

  “Fucking watch me!” she screeched and fired the engine.

  DIGGER TOOK A DRAG of his fag as he walked down the dark road towards town. Rubbing the lump on the back of his head for the third time he still had no idea what he’d been coshed with. He wouldn’t find out now, not that he was in the least bothered. He smiled, content in the knowledge that the weird fucker, Ian wouldn’t be chanting anything at anyone anymore.

  Digger grinned recalling Ian’s mouth jabbering silently as the last breath of air was squeezed from his body. It was amazing how little time it had taken to wipe the greasy fucker off the face of the planet.

  He’d wanted to smash the wanker’s face into an unrecognisable pulp, but due to the fast-spreading pool of shit emptying from Ian’s bowels he’d disappointedly admitted he should move on. Besides, there’d been the other fuckwit lurking under the green tablecloth to deal with.

  When Digger had given Teddy a swift slap to bring him round, the spineless bastard had started bleating like a lamb, banging on about how he’d had nothing to do with it. He had however, blabbered about something that had been rather interesting, of which Digger would definitely be following up.

  However, regardless what the cunt had said, there was no way either of them would be walking away and he’d slowly and very enjoyably wrapped his hands around Teddy’s hairy, smelly fucking throat, strangling the life out of him as well.

  Clenching his jaw, Digger quickened his pace, glad there wasn’t far now to go. Only the thought of the expression on that dirty fat whore Debbie’s mug when she got home after her night shift to find her fuck-buddy brother and his bender sidekick dead in the middle of it, pulled him from his annoyance.

  JANE HADN’T HAD A CLUE where to start looking for Seth. She could barely stand, let alone drive and had already successfully driven up several kerbs and over the top of a roundabout.

  Trying several places she’d thought he might be, there had been no sign of him and for the first time in ages she was scared. Really scared. She didn’t want to lo
se him. How the fuck could she live without him?

  Knowing this place was her last shot, Jane screeched into the wooded clearing and slamming the car door, ran unsteadily towards the wood. Her heart lurched, seeing Seth leaning against a tree. “SETH!” Reaching him, she touched his face and relief coursed down her face in hot tears. “Where have you been?”

  “I don’t know,” Seth slurred. Wandering blindly away from the party, his anger had abated to be replaced with pure, raw desolation. He’d just needed to escape, but from what and to where, he hadn’t known, so he’d just walked.

  He tried to focus on Jane’s face. She was here though wasn’t she? She’d come for him. Feeling another wave of nausea rush over him, Seth turned and steadied himself against the tree trunk with both arms as his stomach heaved.

  “Jane,” Seth muttered, hair hanging over his face. “You’re going to leave me aren’t you?” He raised his head, his eyelids flickering slightly. “I can’t do this anymore,” he whispered, wiping vomit from his beard. “I saw you with Clint against the wall.” He tried to focus but was too doped up. Too drunk. “Jane, don’t leave me. I can’t bear it.”

  Jane attempted to concentrate her rolling, spinning mind, but watching tears roll down Seth’s face as he struggled to stay upright, she felt sick with guilt. “You and Eliza were doi...”

  “Nothing happened,” Seth slurred. “I can’t be with anyone but you, even if you want me to be.”

  Jane didn’t want him to be. Watching him with Eliza had made her feel sick. It was her own fault and she wondered how it was possible to love someone beyond anything, but hate them with a vengeance at the same time.

  Reaching up, she grabbed Seth’s face and kissed him, tasting salty tears and vomit. She didn’t care about that – she loved him.

  Seth put his hand over hers. “Do you love me, Jane?”

  Looking into his bloodshot eyes, Jane laughed hollowly. “You think I’d be here if I didn’t?”

  “Why the fuck won’t you just tell me? What’s your problem? Are you going to leave me? I need to know.”

  Jane rubbed her hand over her forehead and sighed. She didn’t know why she felt unable to tell Seth how much she loved him. Maybe if she spoke about how she felt it would make her weak, or leave her open to being hurt?

  She smiled wryly. Whether she spoke her feelings out loud or not, she knew full well he was her weak point.

  Taking a deep breath she brushed Seth’s hair away from his face. “I’m never leaving you.” She smiled as best as she could. “And just for the record, I love you more than anything.”

  Closing his eyes, Seth gripped onto Jane hand. The shit had to stop from both sides.

  All of it.

  THE GROUP OF FACES surrounding DI Charles’ desk looked distinctly half-asleep, which wasn’t filling him with much confidence, but at least they’d all turned up on time for the raid. Raising the cup of coffee to his mouth, he braced himself for the revolting acrid taste to assault him and silently wondered why he continued to buy it.

  “Right!” he said sharply, grabbing their attention. “Hope you’ve all had enough time to get yourselves sorted?” He clocked the expression on PC Ginning’s face as he greedily slurped from his polystyrene cup. He was a weird one, but as long as he did his job, DI Charles didn’t much care.

  He knew the bloke wasn’t liked around the station, but the more bodies they had on the job the better. Besides, apart from himself, Ginning appeared the only other enthusiastic one out of the lot of them.

  DI Charles turned his attention back to the whole group. “Let’s go through the plan once more, and then we’ll get ourselves ready.”

  DIGGER’S FEET HURT as he traipsed up the high street. He could do with a couple of stiff drinks. Maybe he could nip into Seth’s to grab a couple of beers?

  He glanced at his watch. Just gone 4.30. Seth and Jane would probably still be up, but even if they weren’t, they wouldn’t mind him nipping in.

  Turning the corner, he clocked the car opposite and smirked inwardly to himself. That was a fucking copper if ever he’d seen one!

  Continuing into Ash Street, he then noticed the white roof of a riot van behind a hedge and almost laughed. So Seth had been right about the raid. This lot were so fucking obvious it was unbelievable!

  The temptation to walk over, knock on the window and ask which one of them wanted to earn extra Brownie points by finding a couple of dead bodies was strong, but Digger refrained.

  Continuing casually up the road, he pretended he’d no idea he was being watched. Scowling, he flicked his fag butt into the road and carried on. He’d have to go to the all night garage to get his beer now because of them.

  FIDGETING ON THE UNCOMFORTABLE bench seat in the back of the riot van, PC Ginning could hardly contain his excitement. Glancing at his watch impatiently, he smiled smugly and rubbed his sweaty palms down his black trousers, knowing he stood a very good chance of getting another grope of that Ellerton bird if he was lucky. He didn’t give a fuck if the others didn’t like him. Besides, they wouldn’t drop him in it, the bunch of pricks.

  DI Charles’ voice crackling over the radio broke the highly-tensioned silence. “Let me know if the man on foot turning into the road from the left goes into Wright’s stairwell.”

  Everyone trained their eyes on the big man coming into view at the end of the road.

  “This guy’s one of Wright’s cronies,” DI Charles continued. “He could be going there now.”

  Ginning frowned as the man drew level and then smiled when he continued past. Less for him to deal with.

  JANE WAS SHATTERED. She glanced at Seth as he stared through the windscreen, watching the coming dawn. To sober up, they’d spent the last couple of hours sitting in the car doing coke, but her hangover and comedown had kicked in without even sleeping.

  She didn’t know how she’d manage to go to work in a couple of hours, but then she did most days on little or no sleep - so this one wasn’t really an exception. Putting her head in her hands, Jane sighed and stroked Seth’s arm absentmindedly. Rummaging in her bag she took out her gold case and did the last of the coke.

  Seth glanced up at her over the rolled up fiver. “I would have just slept it off you know.”

  “Really?” Jane snapped, looking at him. “Why don’t you just take less fucking pills then!”

  Seth’s green eyes flashed. “Why don’t you stop fucking other people, then I won’t have to.”

  Not this again. Angrily getting out of the car, Jane walked away with Seth in hot pursuit.

  “JANE! Don’t you dare walk away from me!”

  Jane’s mind span as she tried to get away from his shouting. She just needed five minutes out.

  “Jane! Stop!” Seth roared, close on her tail.

  Ignoring him, Jane realised with a sad sense of resignation they needed to sort their lives out fast. Things were seriously out of control.

  Would anything stop them destroying themselves and each other, except death?

  Maybe that was the only way?

  FORTY THREE

  “GO! GO! GO!”

  Hearing DI Charles’ voice crackle over the radio, the cops rushed up the stairwell and slammed the battering ram against the flimsy front door, then stormed into the brightly lit hall. “POLICE!”

  A loud barking, accompanied by a flurry of white fur launched itself towards the officer at the front. Shadow sprang up from his hind legs his teeth bared and sank his teeth into the man’s thigh, locking on for grim death.

  The cop kicked out and whacked at the dog’s skull with his truncheon. Several others joined in, raining down thud after thud onto the dog, until Shadow collapsed in a pool of blood.

  “I don’t believe this,” DI Charles muttered from the bedroom doorway, glaring at the scene in front of him. He’d forgotten about the dog. How could he have forgotten about the fucking dog? His neck would be on the chopping block for this.

  “Where the fuck are they?” one officer shout
ed, wiping the dog’s blood from his hands down his trousers.

  DI Charles felt like throwing himself out of the window. He’d been so looking forward to seeing the shock on those bastard’s faces and they hadn’t even the bloody decency to be in.

  Trying to ignore his dented ego and the crawling sensation that opting for no surveillance had been an extremely bad decision, he instead concentrated on what to do now.

  He barked at an officer to radio for an ambulance, then faced the rest of the group. “OK, search the place. Rip it to pieces!” His eyes narrowed. “Find anything you can.” He would still get them. He had to. “I’m having these cunts if it’s the last thing I do.”

  DI Charles stomped from the flat in a rage, leaving two cops upending the mattress and chucking clothes to one side, whilst others busily pulled the kitchen drawers to the floor.

  PC Ginning stared at the mess in the living room. Jesus Christ! Did people really live like this?

  His eyes moved to a large framed photograph of a scantily-clad Jane draped over the tank of a shiny black motorbike, which reminded him to look in her knicker drawer.

  He may as well do something half-enjoyable.

  STUART LISTENED INTENTLY to every word coming clearly through the thin wall as the police ransacked next door and happily snuggled further down under his duvet. At long fucking last! Busted!

  As time went on, he realised Jane and Seth weren’t there. Where on earth had they gone in the middle of the night? He could have sworn he’d heard them return earlier.

  Unable to stop himself fidgeting he padded over to the window and glanced out into the dim light of the dawn, seeing straight away that Jane’s car was missing.

  A wide smile spread over his weasily face. This was great! He couldn’t believe she’d taken it out so quickly. With any luck she’d be wrapped around a fucking lamppost by now, along with Seth.