by Darren Dash
I used an app on my phone to call a car – one of the precious few apps that I’d ever downloaded – then drew again while I was waiting for Adrian, just to see what I’d reveal. A fucking three! Sometimes the universe comes straight out and tells you — time to throw in your cards and quit.
THREE — THE PROPOSITION
The weather was back to normal and so was business. Good runs every night, working past dawn most days. Busy and distracted, the way I liked it. Didn’t see too much of the gang, or get to Fervent’s as often as usual, but that’s the way it goes sometimes. Only a fool voluntarily breaks an active streak. One of the first things Dave taught me.
A shower was the only thing on my mind as I hauled myself up the steps to my third-floor flat after another full-on shift. The rainstorms were a distant memory and London was sweltering. I was sweating fit to drown, even though it wasn’t yet nine. I’d dropped the cab and keys off at the garage for Dave to collect later and made my way home — a brisk twenty-five minutes’ stroll. A cool shower, a cold drink, then bed.
I saw the lock had been forced before I reached out to open it. I scowled and cursed beneath my breath. This was the third time in two years. I enjoyed living in Bermondsey, the flat was perfect for me, and the rent was reasonable as central London rates went, but maybe it was time to up stakes. I don’t have much, so last time, along with the DVD player and my collection of DVDs, plus a few other bits and pieces that wouldn’t make much of a profit, the thieves took all my bed sheets and towels, purely out of spite. (They didn’t touch the TV. I guess they were worried their backs wouldn’t stand the strain carrying it down the stairs.) This time they’d probably taken the shampoo and toothpaste as well. As long as they’d left my damn toothbrush…
I pushed open the door and entered. Looking to see what was missing. In a foul mood. Prepared for the worst.
But nothing was gone.
Instead a stranger was lying on my bed, whistling softly. Sat up when he saw me, bum-shuffled to the end of the bed and stood. Grinned nonchalantly and tugged at some folds in his suit, trying to tweak out the creases.
“You Eyrie Brown?” he asked.
“No,” I said, pleasantly as you please. “You’ve got the wrong flat. Eyrie Brown lives in 3D. This is 3B.”
“3B?” He frowned. “But that’s where I was told to come. Eyrie Brown, 3B.”
“No,” I smiled. “You’re wrong.”
“This isn’t 3B?”
“This is 3B, but Eyrie Brown’s in 3D. Easy mistake, mixing up a B for a D. You’re not the first.”
I kept on smiling while he stared, but it was a forced smile. I hadn’t a clue who he was or what he wanted, but I knew he wasn’t here to deliver the milk.
“I think you are Eyrie Brown,” he growled.
“I’m telling you, Eyrie Brown’s 3C. Go along and –”
“3C?” He laughed. “You said 3D a second ago.”
Shit. It had been a long night.
“OK,” I sighed and sat on the chair beside the wall, letting my head rest against the plasterboard. “What do you want?”
“We’re going for a drive,” he said.
“You got anywhere special in mind?”
“Never mind what I’ve got in mind. You’ll see when we get there.”
“What’s this about?” I asked.
He tapped his nose.
“If I don’t come peacefully?” I said softly, wondering if he was armed and if I could get to a knife before he could draw.
He shrugged. “I won’t force you.”
“You won’t?” That wasn’t the answer I’d expected.
“This is an invitation, not a demand.”
I sat there blinking, not sure what to make of that. Then I figured it would be easier to play along than try to make sense of it. “How about I have a shower before we go? I stink.”
“I noticed,” he said, nose wrinkling. “Go ahead, we’re not in any rush.”
Again, not what I’d anticipated. If this was a kidnapping, it was the weirdest damn kidnapping I’d ever heard of.
I shuffled to the bathroom, disrobed and got under the shower. Stayed in there a good ten minutes, the water lukewarm, letting it hit my head and flow down my back.
I felt fresher when I came out and pulled on clean clothes, but I was still none the wiser. The guy in the rumpled suit was standing by the window, staring out at the humble view. I considered asking him again what this was about, but I was sure he wouldn’t tell me.
“I’m ready,” I said.
“Follow me,” he grunted and headed for the stairs.
I swung the door shut after me as I left and hoped no enterprising little gits would notice the busted lock and clean out the flat while I was away.
We drove in silence for more than forty minutes. I didn’t even ask the guy’s name. If I hadn’t been so tired, or if he’d been more aggressive, maybe I’d have been more concerned, but as things were, I was content to lie back, stare out the window and half-doze.
We stopped outside a bookies. The driver parked in front of the doors and killed the engine. “Sit tight a minute,” he said, stepping out. Went inside and returned with a spotty teenager in tow. Tossed him the keys, beckoned me and led the way around back.
We were somewhere north of the river but I wasn’t sure where exactly. Hadn’t bothered to pay attention.
The guy opened a door and led the way up a dark flight of stairs. I followed, feeling slightly apprehensive now that I was here, but curious more than anything else. I’d never been summoned to a secret meeting before. I was intrigued.
We got to the top of the stairs and my guide said, “Wait here.”
He walked down a corridor and disappeared into a room at the end. He was back in less than a minute. “In you go.”
I started forward but he didn’t follow. “Aren’t you coming?” I asked.
“No,” he said, treating me to a faux saintly smile. “My work here is done.”
I slouched to the end of the corridor – I felt hot and sweaty again – and entered the room. There was a large desk, but the man who was waiting for me was sitting in front of it, in one of two chairs which had been set facing each other. It took me several seconds to make him. It had been a few weeks and he looked different in the light, without a gun in his hand or muddied, bloodied clothes. In the end the diamonds on his shoes clued me in before my brain could put a name to the face.
“You remember me,” he said when he saw a flicker of recognition in my eyes.
“Lewis Brue,” I nodded, cagily sitting down.
“Didn’t think you’d forget,” he chuckled. “Can I get you something to drink?”
“A cold beer would be great.”
“Give me a minute.”
Brue got up and left the room. I closed my eyes while he was gone and waited in the quiet. Opened them when I heard him returning. Thanked him for the beer and downed a mouthful while he took his seat. He’d brought a tumbler of Jack Daniels for himself. Toasted me as he sipped.
“Rabbit give you any grief?” he asked.
The question made no sense to me, so I said, “Pardon?”
“Rabbit,” he said again. “Was it all OK when he picked you up?”
I stared at Lewis Brue blankly, then put two and two together.
“Rabbit’s the driver’s name?”
“Yeah.” Brue squinted at me. “Didn’t you ask?”
“No.”
He looked puzzled. “If a stranger turned up at my place, that’s the first thing I’d want to know.”
I shrugged.
“Was Rabbit polite when he asked you to come?” Brue pressed.
“Yes. He told me it was an invitation, not a demand.”
“Good. You never know if people are going to do what you tell them. Rabbit’s better at taking orders than most, but a lot of guys would have acted the thug, no matter what they’d been told. I’m glad you didn’t feel forced to come.”
“He did break t
he lock on my front door,” I noted.
“Invoice me for the repair,” Brue replied. “I mean that. I don’t want to put you out of pocket.”
There was a silence. I looked round the room. Drab, faded wallpaper, a touch of rising damp. Not much in the way of accessories. Hardly the sort of place I’d imagined a man like Brue operating out of.
“This your office?” I asked.
“No.” He looked offended. “Just some hole I borrowed for a few hours. I want to keep our business private. Rabbit is the only one who knows about us.”
“Business? Us?” We were getting straight down to it, which I appreciated. I was too exhausted for small talk.
Brue shifted forward on his chair. “You said you didn’t want to come work for me, and that’s fine, but you did me a favour and I’d like to return it.”
“You paid me for the ride,” I reminded him.
He sniffed. “That doesn’t cover it. Took me a while to realise how lucky I got that night. Not many drivers would have picked me up. That was some impressive shit, and once I’d calmed down and reflected, I knew you deserved more than a handful of twenties.”
I said nothing to that. I’d been more than happy with my take, but if he wanted to give me more, who was I to argue?
“I’ve done some checking on you,” Brue continued. “The way you acted, I thought you must be more than just a cabbie, that you must have connections.”
“I don’t.”
“So I discovered. I guess they trained you well in the Army.”
I regarded him warily. “You found out about that?”
He cocked his head. “Didn’t need to. You told me in the cab.”
I had to think back. We were talking about guns. I let it slip.
“So why am I here, Mr Brue?” I asked.
He smiled. “I’ve something that might be of interest to you. A job.”
I frowned. “I told you I wasn’t interested. You just said as much. Why drag me in to make me an offer you know I won’t accept?”
“Because I think you will.” He made a fist of his right hand and jabbed the air with it. “You boxed when you were younger and you’re looking to buy in as a trainer and promoter now, right?”
My eyes narrowed. “You’ve been talking to Fervent Eld.”
“Not personally, but he was approached. A nice old guy by the sound of things. Thinks very highly of you. Discussed your relationship openly, no reason why he shouldn’t. He said you’ve got some money banked, just waiting for a kid with promise to come along.”
I nodded, but I was still wary. “Why are you interested in my dealings with Fervent Eld? Are you looking to become a silent partner?”
Lewis Brue snorted. “Boxing was never my thing, but I’d like to see you do well, and I think I can help you out. I’m guessing you don’t have a huge amount set by. Enough to train up a local boy who shows some spark, but not enough to go out and headhunt genuine talent. If you help me with a little problem, a one-off job, I’ll put twenty-five K straight into your hand.”
My eyes widened with genuine surprise.
“You can say no if you want,” he said. “I won’t harass you. If you want to take the job, great. If you don’t, I’ll hire someone else. I’ve come to you because I’d like to see us properly squared, but if you’re uncomfortable with what I propose, I’ll find another way to pay you back.”
“Twenty-five thousand…” I said softly.
“You could do a lot with money like that,” Brue noted. “Search for a quality fighter. Buy some decent equipment for Eld’s place. Set up fights with established names when he’s ready. I don’t know much about boxing but I’m pretty sure it’s a world where everything runs a whole lot smoother if you have extra cash to splash around.”
“What would I have to do?” I asked quietly. I had no wish to tie myself to a man like Lewis Brue, but twenty-five thousand pounds was a lot of money to a man like me. Only a fool would turn it down without checking to see what strings were attached.
“You’re interested?” he countered.
“If I don’t have to do anything too incriminating… maybe.”
“You understand how these things work?” he pressed. “If you listen, and you don’t like what I have to say, then you haven’t listened. Not a word of this makes it beyond these walls. You can leave now if you want, and tell your friends about the crazy gangster who made you a crazy offer, and I won’t blink. But if you stay, you owe me your silence. You’ll still be able to say no to the deal, but you never talk about it with anyone else. Are we clear?”
I tossed back half the bottle of beer.
I thought it over.
I nodded.
“There’s a girl. Toni. I want her guarded for a few days.”
“How old?”
“Early twenties.”
“Who is she?”
“That’s not for you to know.”
“How long would it be?”
“This is Thursday morning.” I almost sarcastically thanked him for reminding me of that, but this wasn’t the time for levity. “If you accept the job, you can go home, catch some sleep, get up in the evening as normal. But instead of going out to work tonight, stay in. Toni will come to you around eight or nine. Babysit her through the weekend. I’ll want her back here Sunday evening at five.”
I stared into my bottle of beer and considered the proposal.
“Is it dangerous?” I asked.
“Shouldn’t be.”
“Don’t lie to me.”
“Who’s lying?”
“Twenty-five thousand says this is no normal babysitting job. If trouble’s part of the package, if my life’s going to be in danger, I need to know.”
He sniffed. “She has enemies but they won’t know she’s in London. If they find out, they don’t know you, so they won’t know where to look for her, unless they happen to spot you together on the move. I don’t expect them to find out that she’s here, and even if they do, I’d be shocked if you cross paths with them. You don’t move in the same circles. You’re not part of their world. It should be easy money.”
“But if they do see me with her and find out where I live?” I pressed.
He shrugged. “Then they’ll come for her and they’ll come hard. You’ll have to fight or flee.”
“Will they come with guns?”
“I’d imagine so.”
“A couple of guys? Dozens?”
“Not dozens. Maybe a few. They’ll be able to handle themselves, but knowing what I know about your background, I understand that you can handle yourself too. I wouldn’t be talking to you if I didn’t think you were their equal.”
“How hard would they fight for her? What would I have to do to make them lose interest? Break a few bones? Kill them?”
Brue looked away. “In a worst case scenario it’d be you or them, kill or be killed.” Fervent Eld would have admired the clichés. “But if that happens and your hand is forced, it’s worth bearing in mind that these people aren’t strangers to the game. You wouldn’t be killing anyone who doesn’t deserve it.”
I didn’t like that. I could take care of myself in a fight, and I wasn’t frightened by the prospect of violence or death. But this wasn’t my scene. I’d never gone looking for trouble since I parted company with the Army.
But twenty-five thousand…
“Why not use one of your own men?” I asked. “You’ve never seen me in action. I wasn’t in any danger that night when I picked you up. I didn’t have to fight. How do you know how I’d react under pressure?”
“I don’t. Not for sure. But who does? I’ve seen guys, born killers with years of experience, get into a situation which looks the same as a hundred others, and lose their shit before you can blink. Nobody’s a sure thing.”
“But some are surer than others,” I murmured.
He ceded the point with a nod, then sighed. “I don’t want my guys involved. This has to stay secret. If I put one of my men on the job, there�
��s a much greater chance that they’ll be spotted, that word will spread, that they’ll be pegged. The people of my world are alert to the movements of their own kind. But you’re not one of us. Nobody’s watching out for you.”
“I’m an invisible man,” I said.
He beamed. “Exactly. If you turn me down, and I have to use Rabbit or someone like him, it won’t be the end of the world, but you’re my first choice because you’re someone nobody will expect.”
I still didn’t like it, but I was beginning to understand it.
“This girl. Toni. What would I have to do with her?”
“Stay with her. Guard her.”
“Can I keep her inside my flat the whole time?”
He snorted. “If you can persuade her to stay in, it would be the ideal scenario, but I doubt she’ll go for that. She’s young and into the whole joie de vivre shit. She’ll want to hit the town, and I don’t have the authority to order her to do otherwise. You’ll have to deal with it if she insists on going out, show her the sights and be her chaperone, but try to stick to places you know. Don’t go anywhere she’ll be recognised. Maybe take her to Fervent Eld’s gym. The dogs. Your local boozer.”
“And if she tries to ditch me?”
“She won’t. She agreed to let me provide her with an escort. She might give you grief – she’s a fiery, prickly little thing – but she trusts me, so she’ll trust you. If she proves me wrong, gives you the shake and goes off by herself, it’ll be her fault and I won’t hold you accountable for anything that happens to her. We can’t save those who work overtime to screw themselves.”
“What if something goes wrong, if we get made and have to flee? How do I contact you?”
“I’ll give you my number. You can call any time. If the shit hits the fan, I’ll make new arrangements, take her off your hands.”
“I’d still get paid?” I asked sceptically.
“You get paid in advance,” he said. “The full amount. I won’t look for it back, no matter what happens.”
I did a double take. In advance? I imagined the money sitting in my account, waking up Monday morning in a completely different position to where I was right now and had been for the last few months.