Raven, page 11
‘I know how you feel,’ Charlotte said ruefully, ‘but you need to calm down so I’ll brew a pot of tea. The cure-all. We’ll have a cuppa and leave him to rot in there.’
Tea made, Charlotte popped her head around the office door and told Ned to come and join them. She handed round the cups and saucers and placed a plate of biscuits on the table.
‘I’m busting for the loo. Tuck in. There’s loads more biscuits where they came from.’ She smiled, trying her upmost to look sweet and innocent.
Ned picked up a digestive and dunked it in his tea. Charlotte’s ruse was working. She slipped away but instead of going into the toilet, she crept into the office and gently closed the door behind her.
Wally peered up at her. He didn’t look afraid. As Charlotte walked towards him, she reached into her dress pocket and pulled out the knife that she’d concealed when making the tea.
‘What? What the fuck?’ Wally blurted, his eyes popping at the silver glint of the sharp blade.
‘This is for Tim and our baby,’ Charlotte hissed with venom. She leant down and plunged the knife into the side of Wally’s neck. The man screamed. As she pulled out the blade, blood gushed from the wound. Wally screamed louder. Charlotte struck him again, this time in his chest. He was a big bloke and she wasn’t convinced that the short blade had passed through his fat to his vital organs. She stabbed again and again, three, maybe four or five times – she wasn’t counting. But with every plunge of the knife, she thought about her lost baby.
As Wally quietened and the life faded in his blue eyes, Charlotte felt strong hands dragging her away. Ned and Larry had a hold of her. Ned took the knife from her blood-covered hands and Charlotte smiled. Her work was done. Wally was dead and she’d avenged her child’s life.
*
When David regained consciousness, it took him a while to realise that he wasn’t any longer tied to the chair. He had been laid on several empty sacks with two coats thrown over him. The warmth from the bonfire felt welcoming. Though in excruciating pain, he felt a little better than he had done throughout the night and he wondered if his fever had broken.
His ears pricked at the sound of men talking and he opened his eyes a slit to see Titch and Ralegh sitting at the rickety table. He couldn’t hear Thomas Kelly, and guessed by what the two men were saying that he wasn’t around.
‘Fucking good, eh, Titch. He wants us to keep Maynard alive yet he was happy to let my brother die,’ Ralegh moaned.
‘I know. I don’t get him sometimes. I was sorry about your brother, mate. Nelson was a good bloke, despite what Kelly said.’
‘He was sent to that bandstand like a fucking lamb to the slaughter. Kelly knew that Nelson could be killed but he didn’t give a shit.’
Titch changed the subject. ‘I gotta ask… your names, Ralegh and Nelson, how the bloody hell did you get stuck with them?’
‘Ha, it’s thanks to my dad. He was in the navy for most of his life.’
‘What’s that got to do with it?’
‘Admirals, Titch. Me and my brother were named after navy admirals.’
‘Oh, right.’
David was pleased to learn that there seemed to be some discord amongst Kelly’s men. Well, at least from Ralegh. This gave him a small amount of hope. Maybe he could work on Ralegh, offer him money and protection in exchange for turning a blind eye to his escape. It was a long shot but worth a go. But he’d have to bide his time and wait until he was alone with the man.
David’s mouth felt dry. ‘Water,’ he croaked, hoping that one of the men would hear his weak voice.
It was Ralegh who came over with a metal canister. David held his head up as Ralegh placed the vessel to his lips. He drank slowly, coughing a few times, but weak and unable to support himself any longer, he flopped back down. He couldn’t try to escape yet. He’d be lucky to even get on to his feet, but he could start building a rapport with Ralegh. ‘Thank you,’ he whispered. ‘I’m grateful.’
Ralegh glared at him with disdain before grunting and ambling back to the table. He sat down again and said to Titch, ‘Kelly’s taking the piss. How are we supposed to keep him alive? You’ve seen the state of him. It would be kinder to put the bloke out of his misery.’
David heard every word. They believed he was dying. He was determined to prove them wrong. Yes, he was weak, but he wouldn’t die. He refused to give in. He had to break out and be with Georgina. As long as Kelly didn’t get to her first.
‘I’ll get us some grub. Take good care of him,’ Titch said before mooching off.
David waited until he was sure that he was alone with Ralegh and then he croaked for water again. Ralegh traipsed back over with obvious reluctance, but this time he eased David’s head up and supported it while he drank.
‘Thank you. You’re a good man.’
‘Just following orders. Personally, if it was up to me, I’d fucking kill you,’ Ralegh hissed. ‘Your wife had my brother shot and now he’s dead.’
‘That was Kelly’s fault. He sent Nelson to the common to test the waters. He knew he wouldn’t be returning.’
‘Maybe, but your wife was the one who had him killed.’
‘She wouldn’t have had any choice. She was protecting one of her own men… men she cares about. Unlike Kelly who didn’t give a fuck about your brother.’
Ralegh looked perplexed.
‘A good leader… a good boss… cares about his men. I care about mine. I would never treat my men in the way that Kelly treats you lot. You’re all expendable to him.’
Ralegh said nothing but David could see that he was mulling things over.
‘You don’t have to work for him. I could pay you more and you’d be well looked after.’
‘Piss off. You’d say anything to get yourself out of here. Do you think I’m stupid enough to fall for a line like that?’
‘It’s not a line, Ralegh. I’m a man of my word, you can ask anyone and they’ll confirm it. I’m offering you a better life.’
‘Bollocks. If I help you out of here, as soon as you’re back on your feet, you’d have me disappear.’
‘Why would I kill the bloke who helped me? You’d be valuable to me. You would have proven that I can trust you and have earned yourself a respected place in my organisation.’
While Ralegh began to pace back and forth, David hoped that his offer was tempting the man. What little strength he’d mustered began to drain away, but somehow he pushed again, saying, ‘Kelly is a nutter. He’s only interested in himself and he hasn’t got the brains or the manpower to take on the Portland Pounders. You’ll end up dead for the sake of Kelly’s ego. But help me, work for me and you’ll have a better and longer life.’
‘I don’t know… you could be bullshitting me.’
‘I’m not, Ralegh. Let’s help each other, eh?’
A door creaked and David heard the now familiar footsteps of Thomas Kelly returning. When he came in, David could feel a palpable change to the atmosphere.
‘Where the fuck is Wally?’ Kelly screeched.
‘Don’t know, Boss, he hasn’t come back yet,’ Ralegh answered with a shrug of his wide shoulders.
‘Shit. He should have been back hours ago. I knew I was taking a risk by sending him to that jeweller’s again. I bet that bitch had an ambush waiting for him. Fuck!’
David inwardly smiled. Of course Georgina would have her men there. And as Wally hadn’t returned, she almost certainly had him. Kelly had very much underestimated his wife. He wondered if Wally would talk. Probably. David knew that his wife would use any force necessary to get the man to blab.
Red-faced with fury, Thomas snatched the spanner from the table and threw it across the room. Then he swept his arm across the table, sending cups, cigarettes, an ashtray and a pack of playing cards flying. ‘Fuck – fuck – fuck,’ he growled like a rabid animal and seemed to be close to tearing out his own hair.
Ralegh stood against the wall, white-faced, as his boss raged out of control. David caught the man’s eye and ran his thumb across his throat, mouthing, ‘Wally is dead.’
‘I’ll fucking kill that bitch when I get hold of her,’ Kelly continued to rave.
‘Help me,’ David mouthed to Ralegh, a plea in his eyes. He wasn’t too proud to beg, not when there was a chance that Kelly could finish him off at any moment. He had to stay alive. His beautiful wife would be likely to burst in at any moment, all guns blazing, and Kelly wouldn’t know what the hell had hit him.
However, suddenly, as though a switch had been turned off, Thomas Kelly calmed. He stood deep in thought for a few minutes, and then asked, ‘Where’s Nelson?’
‘He’s just popped out to get some food.’
‘Right, here’s what we’re going to do,’ Thomas said, issuing Ralegh with orders.
*
Thomas Kelly had snapped his orders and they’d picked up Titch, who was now sitting beside him as he drove towards Richmond. Ralegh was in the back with David Maynard, whose health seemed to be deteriorating. Ralegh had near enough carried David to the car and helped him inside. The whole thing had been a bit of a fiasco. He’d noticed that Ralegh was being unusually solicitous with David, to the point where it had infuriated Thomas. He’d ended up shouting and swearing at Ralegh, screeching at him to just drag Maynard along and bundle him into the car.
‘What are we going to do, Boss?’ Titch asked.
‘I don’t know yet. Shut up and let me think,’ he ground out, gripping the steering wheel as tightly as his jaw was clenched. It wasn’t supposed to have worked out like this. By now, Georgina Garrett and David Maynard were supposed to be dead and he should be firmly in place running the London operations. Instead, he was two men down and on the run. But he still had Maynard and knew that Garrett wouldn’t rest until she had her husband back.
Thomas screeched the car to a halt. ‘If she wants her husband back, then I’m going to give him to her.’
‘What?’ Ralegh asked.
‘You’ll see,’ Thomas answered. This fight wasn’t over yet. And Georgina Garrett was soon to get the shock of her life!
*
Johnny’s car raced towards Wandsworth Common but it wasn’t moving fast enough for Georgina. ‘Faster, Johnny, faster.’
‘I’m going flat out. We should be there in about ten minutes.’
She drummed her fingers on the car door, anxious to get to her husband.
‘Is there a plan, Miss Garrett?’ Nobby asked from the back seat.
‘Yeah, there’s a plan… steam in, kill Kelly and get David out.’
‘We ain’t gonna sneak in then?’
‘No, Nobby. We are just getting in and out as quickly as possible.’
Georgina hadn’t given her plan much thought; after all, what was there to think about? Two, possibly three men at most were holding her husband captive. She felt confident that she and her gang were capable of taking them down with minimal risk to their own lives.
Johnny stopped the car up the road from the warehouse and they all piled out. Georgina led the way and, from Wally’s extensive description, they soon found the abandoned building. She ignored her sweaty hands and racing pulse. Georgina was focused on one thing – David.
Outside, her hand on the door, she looked from one to the other of her trusted men. ‘Ready?’ she asked.
Guns poised, they each nodded.
The door creaked as Georgina pulled it open and then Nobby ran through first, closely followed by Eric, Georgina, and then Johnny. As they ran through the dilapidated building, her nostrils caught the whiff of a fire. But there were no voices. No guns firing. Just the sound of her shoes crunching on broken glass and the ruffled noise of pigeons wings as they took flight from the rafters.
‘They’ve gone,’ Nobby said, deflated.
Georgina looked around the room where her husband had been held. A table at one end, a smouldering bonfire in the corner and a hard wooden seat in the middle. She walked to the seat and saw ropes on the ground. And blood. So much blood and she guessed it was David’s. ‘We’re too late. They’ve done a runner,’ she said, fighting the urge to cry.
‘Yeah, but Mr Maynard must still be alive. They wouldn’t have bothered taking him if he was dead,’ Johnny said.
‘You’re right,’ Georgina agreed, feeling a surge of relief that quickly turned to anger. ‘But how the fuck am I going to find him now?’
‘Let’s go back for another chat with Wally. He might have an idea.’
‘Yeah, it’s worth a try,’ Georgina said, her lips pursed.
The mood was sombre in the car on the journey back to Clapham Junction. Georgina gazed out of the window her thoughts twisting and turning. She’d hoped to find David but now those hopes had been dashed and she was back to square one. She tried to remain positive. After all, she still had Wally and he might be able to suggest a place where Kelly could have taken her husband.
‘We’ll find Mr Maynard and that bastard, Kelly,’ Johnny growled. ‘And when we do…’
‘At least we now know who we’re up against,’ Georgina muttered, though the mere thought of the Kelly name made her blood run cold. It felt as though her nightmares, the ones that woke her gripped in terror, were coming to life and playing out in front of her eyes. Kevin Kelly had been the one man she’d feared and he’d almost destroyed her. It now felt that he was laughing at her from beyond the grave, cruelly mocking, and as a cold feeling ran up the back of her spine, she shivered.
‘Are you all right?’
Georgina drew in a deep breath. ‘I’m fine,’ she assured him, stiffening her resolve. She wasn’t going to show any weakness. She’d kill any male in the Kelly lineage, no matter how old or young. Never again would anyone with the name Kelly breathe a threat on her, or her family.
11
‘What the fucking hell has happened here?’ Georgina’s voice rang out.
Charlotte, Ned and Larry all turned to see her staring open-mouthed at Wally’s blood-soaked body. His white shirt was now stained red and he was slumped forward, lifeless. Charlotte glanced down at her clothes and realised that she was covered in the man’s blood too.
‘Charlotte must have lost her mind,’ Ned said. ‘We heard him screaming but by the time we got to him, it was too late; she’d already killed him.’
Georgina looked at Charlotte’s bloodied hands. ‘You did this?’ she asked, disbelievingly.
Charlotte’s chin jutted forward. ‘Yeah, that’s right. He deserved it and he’s lucky I didn’t gut him,’ she answered defiantly.
Georgina stamped across the room and took Charlotte by surprise when she slapped her hard across her face. The slap stung her cheek and, holding a hand over it, she recoiled at the venom in Georgina’s voice.
‘You stupid, stupid, stupid cow! Have you got any idea what you’ve done?’
‘I only did what you should have done.’
‘He,’ Georgina shouted, pointing at the bloody mess in the corner, ‘was the only person who might have been able to help me find David and the man responsible for all of this. But now he’ll never fucking talk again. Well done. Well fucking done, Charlotte. If my husband dies because of you, I’ll never forgive you.’
Georgina’s words stabbed worse than the knife wounds in Wally’s chest. ‘I’m sorry,’ she mumbled as her defiance turned to despair. Tears pricked her eyes. ‘I just wanted to pay him back for what was done to Tim and—’
‘-I know exactly why you did it,’ Georgina interrupted, ‘but you were told to stay out of this. ‘And he,’ she spat, pointing at the body again, ‘wasn’t even in your flat. He didn’t touch you, or Tim.’
Charlotte felt sick, and shook her head in anguish, aware now that she’d slain an innocent man. But was he so innocent?’
‘Get out of my sight,’ Georgina seethed. ‘Ned, take her back to Mary’s flat.’
Charlotte scuttled off, but as she climbed into the car, her mind turned and her defiance rose again. Yes, she’d killed the man, but he was part of the gang that had kidnapped David Maynard. Her thoughts continued to turn. Georgina had always been her mentor and she was only following the woman’s example: Georgina always protected her own. She made sure that anyone who hurt her family, paid for their actions with their lives. Revenge. As far as Charlotte was concerned, she’d taken revenge too. She just hoped that Georgina, once calm, would see that.
*
Johnny shook his head as he gaped at Wally’s lifeless body. ‘I’ll get the cleaner in. He’s getting good money from us lately with all the work we’re putting his way.’
‘Yeah, you do that, Johnny. Thanks. And you,’ Georgina said, turning to Ned with her eyes blazing, ‘how the hell did you let this happen?’
‘It didn’t occur to us that Charlotte would kill the bloke. She’s cute, that one, Miss Garrett. Too fucking cute. We never had a clue. She acts like butter wouldn’t melt but she’s a bleedin’ maniac. She wants sending to bedlam.’
‘All right, Ned, keep your opinions to yourself. What’s done is done, but Gawd knows how I’m going to find David now. Wally was my only link to Thomas Kelly. Just take Charlotte back to the flat and don’t let her out of your sight again.’
Johnny was only half-listening. He was deep in thought as he tried recall Wally’s words. Hadn’t he said something about foreigners from a ship working for Kelly? ‘Bristol. Kelly’s business is in Bristol,’ he blurted.
Georgina clicked her fingers. ‘Yes, yes, Johnny, you’re right. How did I miss that?’
‘Other things on your mind.’
‘Larry, get yourself down to Bristol. Dig around. Find out what you can. Relay everything back to me or Charlotte at the flat. Here’s the telephone number,’ Georgina instructed as she scribbled the number on a piece of paper.
‘Charlotte?’ Johnny questioned.
‘Yes, Charlotte. She fucked up but we still have work to do.’
Johnny inadvertently raised an eyebrow, but he was pleased that Charlotte wasn’t in the doghouse. He had a lot of time for the girl and had always felt protective of her. And in all fairness, he secretly admired what Charlotte had done. If he’d been in her shoes, he might have done the same. Though he wouldn’t want to face the wrath of Miss Garrett.
