Zig walked down the hill with Si afterwards feeling not only in love, but also connected, somehow, to the community that was here, even if he didn’t actually know many people yet.
Then in the evening, when he was on his way to his shift at the pub, the phone rang, and when he saw the caller ID wasArsehole Cunting Fuckface, Zig nearly threw up in the street.
He pulled himself together and answered the call.“Yeah?I ain’t got long.I’m due at the pub in ten minutes.”Okay, so it was twenty.Zig liked to get there early.
“You’ll make time for your old man if you know what’s good for you.We need to meet.”
“Right.Yeah.”They’d expected this; they’dplannedfor this, so why was Zig’s heart beating like it wanted to break a record and probably his rib cage while it was at it?“Tomorrow?Cos, like I said, I got work right now.”
“You think you’re the only one who’s got things to do?”Dad’s tone was belligerent.“You’ll call in sick if you know what’s good for you.And that boyfriend of yours.”
Shit.Zig had thought he’d have time to prepare.Time to make sure Si and the others were available to back him up.“When?”he asked harshly.
“Now.Somewhere we ain’t gonna be overheard.We got a job to plan.”
“You can’t come to the flat,” Zig said quickly, his heart pounding and his thoughts racing.“Si’s home.How about the tor, in half an hour?”
“The bloody tor?”
“Perfect, innit?”Zig crossed his fingers.“No one’s gonna be up there this time of day.Just follow the path up to the tower.”And if you can manage it, trip and break your bloody neck in the dark, and save us all a load of trouble.“See you there in half an hour.”
He ended the call, hands shaking.Then he dialled Ange’s number.“Ange?I’m really sorry.I can’t make it in tonight.Something’s come up.Family emergency,” he added bitterly.
There was a brief silence, then a sigh.“A little more notice might have been nice, but I suppose it can’t be helped.I’ll see if one of the others can cover, so be prepared to owe them a favour.”
“You too, Ange.Thanks.You’re the best.”
Next, he called Si.“It’s happening,” he said, nausea rising.
Half an hour later, Zig stood alone by St.Michael’s Tower, shivering in the icy wind that whipped up from the levels.It was brighter than he’d expected, a full moon shining down on him like a pale, cold spotlight.No chance of anyone missing the path tonight.
Despite this, his heart skipped a beat when he spotted the two bulky figures walking towards him, closer than he’d expected.No escape now.
Dad stopped walking when he was a couple of yards away and stood there, his face stony.Next to him...
Trent.
He was dressed as sharply as ever, in a dark peacoat that made his shoulders look a million miles wide.He looked meaner than Zig remembered, his features coarser and thicker, somehow ghoulish in the pale moonlight.His hair was, as ever, spiked up with gel, untroubled by the strong wind up here.
Zig swallowed and concentrated on not shitting himself.
“S’pose you think this is funny, dragging us up here?”Dad sneered.
He was breathing hard from the climb.Zig tried to focus on that and not the threat in his voice.“It’s a good place to meet, innit?Out of the way.”
Trent spat on the ground.“I don’t know why the fuck he bothered to come out here to hippie-land for you.”
There was no sign of exertion in his voice.
No sign of weakness at all.
Zig smiled faintly.“Guess blood really is thicker than water.”
Dad stepped forward.“Want to test that theory?Time to get down to business.Or you and your little fairy boyfriend are going to be finding out just how thick blood is.”
“Not that little,” Si said mildly, stepping out from behind the tower.
Zig’s heart raced.It hadn’t been part of the plan, Si showing himself so early.Or maybe it had, seeing as Si’s main contribution to the plan had been“If he threatens you, all bets are off.”
