“And who’s been taking the fuckers out?” Baz continued. “You heard Jake. Bodies. Gunshot wounds.”
“The Viking,” Indie confirmed, his eyes locking Baz’s “V has been taking out as many as he can. Reduce the numbers. Reduce the threat. Maybe even scare the fuckers off. No fucker wants to die, not like that.”
“Sounds like someone put the fuckers in water then, cos clearly we’ve got more to take care of than we thought,” Demon commented. “We sticking to the original plan?”
“Aye,” Indie nodded. We go tonight, fix the weapons under the pews.”
“Y’know the coppers are gonna show now,” Baz looked uncomfortable again. “How many weapons we stashing?”
“As many as we’ve got.” Indie shrugged.
I watched Barry the Blade closely, that odd feeling returning to me. Something firing in my brain that I couldn’t quite reach. Indie watched him too, and I wondered whether he was feeling the same.
*****
Sunlight flooded through the clubhouse windows like the world had forgotten what day it was supposed to be. Bright blue skies stretched over Gateshead, Newcastle and the north east, the kind of dry spring morning people waited all winter for. Warm enough that the carpark outside theDogalready smelled faintly of petrol, spilled oil and cigarette smoke.
It felt fucking wrong.
Funerals were supposed to come with rain. Grey skies. Thunder maybe. Something heavy enough to match the feeling sitting in my chest. Instead, sunlight bounced off chrome and polished tanks lined outside the clubhouse, while brothers drankin low, rough voices waiting for funeral cars carrying an empty coffin. An empty fucking coffin.
I sat near the bar, turning my untouched pint slowly between my hands while around me cuts lingered tensely in theDog on the Tyne. Kings. Prospects. Outside was too quiet. Too still. Gateshead itself holding its breath because it wasn’t quite sure what was coming.
That thought twisted badly in my gut. Using him like this. Baiting the Hand into showing themselves at his funeral. But then again, Magnet would’ve fucking loved it. Probably called it ‘poetic’, then demanded we make the coffin explode for dramatic effect. A rough laugh escaped me before dying just as quickly.
The clubhouse quietened slightly as Indie stepped out from the corridor behind the bar, already dressed in a black shirt and cut, Fury beside him looking like violence barely held together by skin.
“Funeral cars are ten minutes out,” Indie announced. “Tez and the boys are already heading to the church. Rest of us move together.”
Silence followed. Heavy, thick. And even though this funeral was a sham, I felt it, anyway.
“Hang on,” Demon said suddenly. “We’ve movement on the road. Motorbikes.”
“We’re not expecting anyone.” Indie’s head moved, searching over the bar for the TV with multiple grainy squares.
I heard the engines then, the high pitch wail. “Sports bikes.”
“Not the fucking Hand then.” Baz looked confused. “Who the fuck’s turning up on plastic rockets looking for us?”
Fury groaned and Indie shot him a glance. “It’s a Busa. It’s fucking Jazz.”
“What the fuck is it with you and your family?” Indie groaned.
I watched the cameras with everyone else. Two of them, slowing as they crossed from the crumbling road to the pitted gravel of the car park.
“What do we do now?” Demon asked, struggling to hide the amusement on his face.
Indie shook his head. “Let them in.”
“Them?” Fury growled. “Not that fucking Road Rat. No fucking way.”
“Yes them. I want him where I can see him.”
TheDogquietened. Breaths held. The order had been given and we watched the two figures in Italian racing leather step through our doors. Jazz pulled her helmet off as she entered, pulling out the long dark plait and letting it fall over her shoulder.
“Helmet off,” Indie commanded of the man who walked a stride or two behind her.
He nodded, fumbling under his chin and then pulling the lid off over his head. He looked better than when I’d last seen him. Hanging from chains in our basement didn’t suit him. For a moment his gaze caught mine. He didn’t nod. Didn’t acknowledge me, and I felt the knot of anxiety in my chest loosen just for a moment.
