by Kerry Kaya
The craving was driving her out of her mind, to the extent that it physically hurt, and she pulled desperately at her dirty blonde hair, in a bid to dull the pain inside of her.
Charlene looked toward her Nokia mobile phone, before she hastily dismissed the idea from her mind. She may have been many things, but she couldn’t do that.
Within twenty minutes, the crack pipe, which sat on top of her fridge, was all she could focus on. The junkie in her, made Charlene reach for her phone. She dialled a number, and when she reached Matty Payne’s answering machine, she threw the phone at the wall in despair, before collapsing in a heap on the floor, with tears streaming down her face. Without even realising it, the fact that Matty hadn’t answered his phone, had done Charlene the biggest favour she had ever had.
* * *
Danny sat down at the dining table, opposite his wife. Maxine was an excellent cook and he tucked in, to a generous helping of steak, chips, tomatoes, mushrooms and homemade peppercorn sauce.
His life was a stark contrast, compared to the housing estate he had just come from. Their worlds were a million miles apart, and not for the first time, was he relieved he hadn’t been raised on the chicken shop meal deals, which seemed to dominate every high street.
Whilst eating, he pondered over how he would dispose of the gun, once the deed was done. The Old Bill would be crawling all over the place, and he would need to have all loose ends tied up, before he fired a single bullet, therefore making the gun hot and easily traceable. He wondered now if he should have loaned the weapon, instead of buying it, and left the disposal to someone who would make sure it was gone forever. No, the less people involved the better, he decided.
More than anything, he prayed he could pull it off. If he didn’t, he knew life would become even more dangerous than it already was. He would have one chance at this, and he couldn’t miss his target. If he did, then he was a dead man walking, because Freddie Smith certainly wouldn’t allow him a second chance.
* * *
The general planning of the attack had been left to Big Tone. His orders had been to put together the men who would carry out the assault, which was proving to be a lot tougher than was expected. The problem he had, was that Danny was not only a face, he was well liked, and he knew senior members of the firm would question the order to take him out. In other words, they wouldn’t like it, any more than he did.
In all honesty, Big Tone wasn’t at all happy with what Freddie was asking of him. He was a heavy, not a murderer, and there was no other way to describe what was being planned, other than plain and simple murder. There was no pussy-footing around that fact.
As much as he’d tried to dissuade Freddie from this course of action, he just couldn’t get through to the man. He may as well have been talking to a brick wall, and to be perfectly fair, it had felt like just that.
Big Tone pulled into a car park beside Epping Forest. Surrounded by woodland, it was a location they had used on numerous occasions, and perfect for the firm to talk in privacy.
The area was already in darkness by the time Big Tone had arrived. Climbing out of his Range Rover, he made his way toward two men standing at the far end of the car park.
The men had no idea why they had been summoned. He had refused to give them any details over the phone, and Big Tone could sense the uneasiness they felt in their body language.
He knew they would be questioning the reason why only three of them were at this meet, rather than the majority of the firm. And more importantly, they would question the fact that key members, such as Freddie and Danny, were missing.
Big Tone greeted the men and shook their hands. He cleared his throat and then spoke, not wanting to beat around the bush. “We’ve got a situation, lads. Freddie has asked me to put together a small team. He wants something done when we meet with the Greeks.”
The men looked toward each other, and Big Tone took this as his cue to continue. “He wants McKay taken out, permanently.”
One of the men gave a low whistle, the other took a sharp intake of breath. Out of all the reasons they had been summoned, neither of them had expected this.
“Are you having a fucking bubble?” This came from Lloydy.
Big Tone held up his hand to quiet them down. It was no joke, he only wished it was. “I know this is a big ask,” he said. “In fact, it’s a really massive fucking ask.”
Big Tone let his words sink in for a few moments, before continuing. “If you want no part in this, I hand-on-heart would understand,” he said and placed his hand on his chest to emphasize his words.
Terry Stevens, the quieter of the two men, then spoke. “If that were the case, mate, you wouldn’t have called us here. I’m guessing this is something you don’t want anyone else knowing too much about either? And the fact that we now do, has put us in an awkward position.”
The two men looked at Big Tone, expectantly, and he instantly regretted taking these men for fools. He wasn’t used to this side of the firm. This had always been Danny’s speciality. It was what Freddie paid him a hefty wedge to do, and was what he excelled in.
“You’re right. No one else is to know about this, not yet anyway.”
“So basically, we have no choice. We have to do as Freddie asks. And what if we refuse?”
Big Tone rubbed his hand across his dark cropped hair. “To be honest, I don’t know the what-ifs.” And he truly didn’t know what the consequences would be if either of the men, himself included, refused. Would Freddie simply assemble a second team to take all of them out?
“Look, let me give you a day or two to think about this. It’s a lot to take in, I know.”
He nodded at the men, shook their hands and walked back to his car. As he reversed out of the car park, he saw the men he’d carefully chosen, due to their combined strength, huddled together, discussing what had been asked of them, and not for the first time, did he feel sick to his stomach. A huge part of him wanted to give Danny a heads-up on the situation. Time was ticking for Danny McKay, and that time was running out fast.
* * *
Oblivious to just how much danger he was really in, Danny cuddled up to Maxine on the sofa. Their son was nestled in the crook of his arm. Content as he lay next to his daddy, little Danny’s eyes began to close, as he drank his bedtime bottle of warm milk. Danny looked down at his son. He loved this little boy with every ounce of his being. He gently kissed his button nose and smiled, all the while, unaware that there was a very real possibility he may never see him reach his first birthday.
Chapter 3
A bubble of irritation spread through Freya Jenkins’s body, as she watched her daughter flick through the pages of the latest issue of Best Homes magazine.
She had always said that her girl was away with the fairies, and now, more than ever, she believed that to be the truth. Just lately, she’d heard some worrying rumours about her son-in-law, not that he’d ever been blemish free. Oh no, the man had never been whiter than white, and she, more than anyone, knew what kind of life that meant for her daughter. But his latest escapades where beginning to worry her, and she couldn’t rid herself of the constant knot of fear, deep inside her stomach.
“Have you said anything to his lordship, yet?”
Maxine McKay looked up from her magazine. “About what?”
“You know full well, what about. The Greeks!”
“I can hardly say to him … my mum heard a rumour from old Mrs. Jones, whose niece scrubs floors for Mr. Christos, that there is trouble afoot,” Maxine laughed. “C’mon, mum, Danny would think I’ve lost my mind.”
Pointing her finger toward her daughter, Freya was angry. “That’s right. You laugh, but you won’t be laughing, when he is doing a twenty stretch and you’re trying to scrape a few pounds together to try and feed little Danny, or keep a roof over his head, like I had to do when you were little and your dad, may God rest his soul, was away.”
“Dad went away for armed robbery, mum, and my Danny is nothing lik
e that. He has a real job for a start.”
“Oh, do me a favour … your Danny has a real job! He’s the biggest villain this side of the water, darling, and you mark my words, girl, there’ll be trouble there.”
Annoyed herself, Maxine’s cheeks were flushed pink. She sat forward in her seat. “You don’t even know anything about my Danny. You won’t even let him into the house. He’s not a villain at all. You do come out with some nonsense, mum.”
Freya sighed. She could see there was no point in arguing with her daughter. Her Maxine would defend her husband till the cows came home. “I just worry about you and little Danny, that’s all,” she said, reaching over and clasping her daughter’s hand. “If he ends up doing a stretch, how would you cope?”
Maxine rolled her eyes. Admittedly, her Danny might not be perfect, and it would be fair to say he was a bit of a rogue, but he was a lovable rogue. He certainly wasn’t the monster her mum portrayed him to be. Anyone would think he was the devil himself, the way she carried on about him.
She went back to her magazine. Absentmindedly, she flicked through the pages. She had to admit, though, she was worried, only for a completely different set of reasons, not that she would ever let on to her mum. She didn’t want to fuel the fire that was already there. Despite what her mother thought, Maxine had begun to take a lot more notice of her husband’s comings and goings, and as much as she hated to admit it, she didn’t like what she saw, not one little bit.
* * *
Two hours later, Maxine walked out of Tesco, with a supermarket trolley full of groceries. Little Danny sat snugly in the infant seat, and she smiled down at him, as he sucked on a teething rusk.
She walked toward her car and clicked the fob on her keyring to operate the central locking system. Lifting her son out of the trolley, she placed him into his baby car seat, then set about the task of loading the boot with shopping bags, all the while, unaware that she was being intently watched.
After slamming down the boot, Maxine ran the few short yards to return the trolley to the trolley park. She fumbled to release the pound coin deposit, then hurried back to her car.
As Maxine climbed into the driving seat, she glanced behind her and checked on little Danny. She laughed as he gave her a gummy grin, then turned in her seat to start the ignition. It was at that moment that she noticed a man, in a black Audi, staring toward her. She pulled down the sun visor, in a bid to take a better look at him. When he didn’t break his gaze, she gave a little shudder and locked the doors, before putting the car into gear and easing out of the parking space. As she drove away, Maxine checked in the rear-view mirror to make sure he wasn’t following.
She couldn’t put her finger on it precisely, but the man had unnerved her.
As she drove home, she found that she was more aware of her surroundings than usual, on the lookout for anything out of the ordinary.
What with the spat of carjackings recently, she wanted to kick herself for leaving little Danny in the car alone, even if it had been only for a few seconds. There and then, Maxine decided not to mention it to her husband. She knew Danny would only lecture her about leaving their son, and she already felt guilty enough.
She was right, Danny would be angry, only for reasons Maxine could never have imagined.
* * *
Taking out two beers from the fridge, Hayley Stevens walked through to the lounge. She handed them out to the men in front of her, with the type of smile that wouldn’t have looked out of place on a toothpaste commercial. They offered their gratitude, and as she walked away, Lloydy lowered his gaze, focusing on anything, other than her tight arse. Hayley was all big tits, big hair and lip gloss. She was also completely off limits. Her husband, Terry Stevens, adored his wife.
Once his wife had left the room, Terry got down to business. The situation with Danny had kept him awake for most of the night, and if there was one thing Terry detested, it was lack of sleep.
“So,” Terry asked, as he took a swig from his bottled beer, “what are your thoughts on the situation Big Tone has kindly landed us in?”
Lloydy shook his head. “Mate, I can’t fucking believe it. I’m still in shock. This is Danny, for fuck’s sake. How the fuck are we meant to turn on one of our own?”
Terry, blew out his lips. “The way I see it, we don’t have much choice in the matter, not unless we want to end up supporting a flyover ourselves. So, the question is, how are we going to play this out?”
Lloydy rested the cold bottle against his forehead. “This is all wrong,” he muttered, before gulping down his beer. He had a feeling he would need several alcoholic beverages over the course of the next few days, just to get him through. “Well, I don’t fancy any of our chances taking him on, not single-handed anyway. The man is an animal. Even the Old Bill thinks twice, before getting involved with him.”
Nodding his head, Terry answered. “Then we steam in when he’s least expecting it. Let’s face it, that might be the only chance we have.”
The two men sat quietly with their own thoughts. Lloydy stared out of the patio doors, to the garden beyond. He and his girlfriend had gone out for a meal with Danny and his wife once. They’d had a lovely evening and promised, as you do, to do it again. Now, he realised that time would never come, and he felt pained and heart sorry for what was to happen.
“Are we in agreement then? We take Danny down and keep going until the job’s done?”
Lloydy looked across to Terry and reluctantly agreed. If truth were told, he just wanted to get out of this house, and away from the madness that his life had suddenly spiralled toward.
* * *
Ending the phone call, Big Tone sighed with relief. He felt as though a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. A part of him had had a feeling of dread, that the men he’d chosen, would refuse Freddie’s request. If that had been the case, then he didn’t bear to think about the repercussions. He knew, instinctively, they would be harsh.
Big Tone was becoming increasingly concerned about the state of Freddie’s mind. His long-time friend and boss had become obsessed with the situation with Danny. It wasn’t healthy, and definitely wasn’t warranted, as far as Big Tone could tell.
He had never heard any whispers about Danny wanting to take over the firm. As far as he was aware, the man had only ever been loyal, and he knew there would be gossip if that hadn’t been the case. Someone, somewhere would have let Freddie, or one of the other faces, aware of that fact, if for no other reason, but to cause hag or point score.
Closing his eyes, Big Tone took a deep breath, before giving Freddie a call to give him what seemed like the tenth update on the situation that morning alone.
He felt mentally drained. How the fuck Danny had put up with Freddie’s demands for all of these years, he had no idea. As far as Big Tone was concerned, Danny McKay deserved a medal.
* * *
Freddie Smith switched off his phone and smiled. He felt happier now, in the knowledge that his plan to extinguish Danny McKay’s life was falling into place. There was nothing he would like better than to bring the fucker down, to plant a bullet in the man’s skull, but the sick, twisted part of his brain wouldn’t allow him to take that course of action.
More than anything, he wanted to see Danny suffer. He wanted to see the man surrounded in pain. Not only did he want him to know that he was about to take his last breath, but that it was him, who was responsible for the hit. No, shooting was too quick, too easy … McKay was going to go down underneath a hail of blows, all the while, wishing he had never been born.
Momentarily, he felt sorry for McKay’s pretty little wife. He had taken to following her around when she was out and about, and knew how she spent her days, probably better than her own husband did. Still, he thought to himself, once Danny was out of the picture, she would be fair game. She would need a shoulder to cry on, and his shoulders were big enough for her pretty little head to rest upon.
As for the little lad, well, he would need a fa
ther figure, wouldn’t he? Someone to show him the ropes, someone to show him how the world worked? Yes, Freddie Smith was more than happy to play the role of an uncle, or even daddy, if his luck was in, and what a great role model he would make for the boy.
Feeling euphoric, Freddie dialled Matty Payne’s mobile phone. He was up for a party now, and he knew the lad would oblige. He had no other choice in the matter.
* * *
Driving out to Essex, Danny flicked the indicator as he approached the Southend turn-off. He had a contact there, who owned a small holding. He’d done the man a huge favour a few years back, concerning a piece of land adjacent to his farm, and now it was time for him to call in his debt.
As he drove down the country lane, he checked the rear-view mirror frequently. He wouldn’t put it past Freddie to have him followed. He knew how the man’s mind worked. After all, it was him, who had dealt with the firm’s business dealings for all of these years.
Andrew Marsh was waiting at the gate as Danny drove in. He waved at him in a greeting, and Danny lifted his hand in return. Parking the car, he climbed out, and careful of where he stepped, he managed to navigate around the mud-splattered ground.
He shook Andrew’s hand. “Nice to see you, fella,” Danny smiled.
“And you. Come on into the house. I’ve got a nice brandy waiting for you.”
Danny followed Andrew inside. As promised, he saw a full brandy bottle and two glasses on the sideboard.
“Take a seat,” Andrew said, as he collected the bottle and glasses.
Danny sat at the scrubbed pine table, beside the kitchen AGA cooker, and warmed his hands.