Den of Snakes

by Damian Vargas

  ‘So what did you do, give it up?’ asked Debbie. She had her arm around Charlie’s shoulders.

  ‘Did we, bollocks!’ said Charlie. ‘Go on, tell ’em, Mike’.

  Mike took a long drag on his cigarette. ‘Well, at first we thought we’d have to ram the gate or something, but Charlie had a lateral thought. We blacked up’.

  ‘You did what?’ asked Debbie.

  ‘With the coal. We blacked up our hands and faces. Did a bleedin’ good job ‘n all. I hot-wired the truck. Charlie drove it up to the gate and waved. The guard glanced up at Charlie and me, presses the button to open the gate and off we drove. And get this. Not only that, but he even shouted “See you tomorrow, Delroy” ’.

  The entire group burst out laughing, except Charlie.‘Yeah, ha fucking ha.’ He said. ‘But what Mike’s not yet mentioned is what happened afterwards, when we dropped the stolen truck off’.

  ‘Yeah. That bit didn’t go so well,’ said Mike. ‘We didn’t have time to stop anywhere to scrub up. We had to deliver the truck to this geezer who would take it off our hands. We’d get our seventy quid, catch the tube home. Cushty, yeah? Not quite’.

  ‘So what happened?’ asked Eddie.

  Mike grinned. He was clearly enjoying building up the suspense. ‘We had to meet this geezer, called ‘Bob’, in Camberwell which, as you know, is pretty close to Brixton. So off we went on the M4 to Hammersmith, down to Battersea, then Camberwell. It took about two hours. We pulled up under these railway arches as we’d been told to and sat there waiting till this bloke arrived’. Mike took another drag on his cigarette, finished it and stubbed it out in the ashtray. ‘And then…“Bob” showed up’.

  ‘And…?’ said Eddie before taking a slurp of his pint.

  ‘And, that was the point when Charlie and I who, you will recall were still as black as the ace of spades, realised that the bloke, and the half dozen blokes he had with him, were from Jamaica’.

  Eddie spat out his beer. Kenny burst out laughing.

  ‘They beat the shit out of us both and took the truck without paying us nuffin,’ said Charlie. ‘And I can’t say I blame ’em’. He chuckled.

  ‘I love that story,’ said Roger. ‘It never gets old’.

  ‘You lot are crazy,’ said Eddie. ‘I need to take a leak, where’s the John in this place?’

  ‘It’s inside the main building over there,’ said Mike, pointing towards the black stone-clad building on the other side of the pool. Have a look for Veronica while you’re in there, would you?’

  Eddie made his way towards the building where he intended to do anything except to find Veronica. He did not have to. She spotted him as he made his way out of the bathroom.

  ‘Want to go back in there with me, luvver?’ she said.

  Jesus Christ. This girl’s a fruitcake. ‘Leave it out, Veronica. This ain’t funny,’ he said, backing away. ‘Seriously, fuckin’ stop it’.

  ‘Oh, don’t be like that, Ed. I thought we were friends’.

  ‘Friends don’t try to get each other’s head’s kicked in,’ said Eddie. She put her arms around him and gazed up at his face.

  ‘Are you scared of my Mikey? Don’t worry about him. He’s off chasing tarts behind my back all the time’. Eddie attempted to peel her off him, but she clung on tight, twisting to her left and pulling him down towards an empty couch.

  ‘Stop it. I mean it’. Eddie was getting angry, his eyes darting around the surrounding crowd, hoping he would not see Mike. Nobody was paying them any attention.

  ‘I want you to screw me, Eddie’.

  ‘Christ almighty, Veronica. Are you high?’

  She giggled. ‘Of course, aren’t you?’

  ‘No. I’m not into that shit. And I ain’t into this either’. He applied pressure to her thumbs and broke free from her. He stood up and checked their surroundings once more. ‘Your fella’s out there. If he sees you like this, tryin’ it on…well he ain’t gonna be happy, is he?’

  ‘Alright, I’ll behave. If you stay for a bit and talk,’ she said. She pulled a cigarette out of her purse and lit it. She patted the sofa next to her. ‘C’mon, at least sit down and have a chat, Eddie’. Sensing that it was the best strategy in the scenario, Eddie lowered himself down on the red sofa. It smelled of stale beer.

  ‘You’re dangerous, you are,’ said Eddie.

  ‘Men like crazy girls’.

  ‘Some men,’ said Eddie. He watched her inhale on the cigarette. ‘Gimme one of them’. She placed the packet of John Player Special and her lighter in his outstretched hand. ‘So he cheats on you. You’re pissed with him. I get it,’ he said, before placing the cigarette in his mouth and lighting it.

  ‘He screws around, yeah,’ she said in a sarcastic tone. ‘But I don’t care about that. Not no more’.

  ‘Why are you still with him? He’s what…twenty years older than you?’

  ‘For the money. That and he used to be an animal in bed. Now he’s mostly drunk. Or angry.’

  ‘Right now, I’d say he’s worried about you. So why don’t you stop all this business and go to him? It’s obvious he cares for you,’ said Eddie.

  ‘He cares about your brother more’.

  ‘Ah, I get it,’ said Eddie and gave her a knowing smile.

  ‘Do you?’ said Veronica.

  Eddie nodded, smiling. ‘How long have you two been together?’

  ‘About three years,’ she said.

  ‘And how long have Mike and Charlie been friends?’

  ‘I dunno. Fifteen years or something?’

  ‘More. About twenty,’ said Eddie. ‘That’s a tight, fuckin’ friendship. You know what I mean? They’ve been through some serious shit together. I bet you don’t know the half of it’.

  ‘I know I don’t,’ said Veronica.

  ‘Then don’t try and compete. That ain’t gonna happen. Mike and Charlie are best friends. You won’t change that. But it doesn’t mean you can’t have a good relationship with Mikey. He treats you okay, doesn’t he?’

  ‘If you mean, “he doesn’t hit me”, yeah. He treats me okay’.

  ‘So, why are you acting like this? If he makes you happy, stick by him. If not, don’t. It’s pretty flippin’ simple’.

  Veronica gazed at him. He scrutinised her lips before realising that her hand was on his thigh. He left it there.

  ‘I reckon you could make me happy’, she said. She put her hand on his and leaned towards his mouth. He let her move forward, but only for a moment.

  ‘Veronica, no!’ he said, trying very hard to sound virtuous in his intentions. She let him get up, her hand brushing against his bulging groin as he did so. She could see right through him, and he knew it. Fuck. He stood over her. ‘Get up. C’mon. I’m taking you back to your fella’. He held out his hand, but she did not move.

  She smiled. It was a confident, “I’m-in-your-head” kind of smile. ‘Did you know I was an actress,’ she asked.

  ‘No,’ said Eddie, wondering where this would go.

  ‘Yep. I was in Crossroads twice. And Dick Turpin on ITV, with Richard O’Sullivan. The Sweeney, too. I played a hooker from Glasgow for three episodes. Till I got murdered’. She laughed. ‘And two other dramas. Did a bit of theatre too. I was good. Accents were my strong point. But I was young and stupid and got myself caught up in this whole Costa del Crime lifestyle’.

  ‘You mean parties? Drugs?’ said Eddie.

  ‘That, and a penchant for moody tough guys,’ she replied. ‘Like you’.

  Eddie rolled his eyes. ‘So why don’t you go back to England? Start again?’

  ‘Ain’t that simple’.

  ‘It really is. You just pack up your stuff, get on a plane. You make it happen. If you really want to’.

  ‘There are things you don’t know about -’. She stopped herself.

  ‘About what?’ said Eddie. She smiled. It seemed forced.

  ‘Don’t matter. Ignore me. I’ve done too much blow. My head’s all over the bloody place’. She giggled. It
seemed forced. Eddie hesitated for a moment. He was curious, but alarm bells were ringing in his head.

  She’s trouble. Don’t get involved. ‘C’mon, let’s get back to the others,’ he said instead.

  ‘Sure thing, lover’. Veronica grabbed his outstretched hand and lifted herself up like a creeping vine around an old tree trunk, flickering the tip of her tongue on the inside of her open lips. He grabbed her hand and pulled her into the dancing masses back towards Charlie and the rest of the British crew.

  This girl will be the end of me.

  When Eddie arrived back at the table with Veronica in tow, the topic of conversation was of a much more serious nature. The crew were huddled close and exchanging furtive glances around them. Eddie sat down and listened.

  ‘It’s safe, far away from Spanish authorities,’ he heard Roger say. ‘We just nip back, do the job, and come straight back to Spain. All in a few days’.

  ‘I reckon it would be one of the easiest jobs we’ve pulled, Charlie,’ said Mike, who was obviously keen on the idea.

  Charlie, however, was staring at the ground and slowly shaking his head. ‘Boys, I know things are a bit tight now,’ he said, ‘but we can’t afford to draw any more attention on us. Besides, the property project will solve all our problems’.

  ‘It ain’t that we don’t believe in your project, Charlie,’ said Roger. ‘But we all need cash now’.

  ‘It ain’t just the money. I’m getting fuckin’ bored down here,’ said Mike.’ Look at em all…’. He waved his hand around, to direct Charlie’s attention to a group of stern-faced, swarthy men at a nearby table. One of their number was eyeing the British group, unsmiling. He blew out a plume of cigar smoke. ‘Everyone thinks we’ve gone soft,’ Mike continued. ‘They don’t respect us. And throwing parties at your gaff ain’t gonna change that’. Mike glared back at the tanned man with the cigar.

  ‘Cut it out, Mike. They’re some of Fernandez’s boys. I need his support for the project,’ said Charlie.

  ‘I thought you said you weren’t gonna go after the local Spanish money?’ said Mike.

  ‘No, but that bastard controls half the construction crews in the province. We can’t burn bridges so just play fuckin’ nice’.

  ‘What d’you think, Kenny?’ asked Mike.

  ‘I’m with Charlie,’ Kenny replied. ‘It’s too risky. You know I was lucky to get out of Blighty after the last job. I had to leave most of me bleedin’ stuff behind. I’d like more dosh too, but I can’t do another stretch. We’d get fifteen years if they caught us doin’ this’.

  ‘They wouldn’t catch us, Ken, said Mike. ‘Rog’s got it all planned. Only an idiot could fuck this one up’. He nodded and gestured towards Bill. ‘What are you thinking, mate?’

  Bill put his hands in his pockets and glanced at Charlie. ‘Well, to tell the truth, I am getting a bit grief off the missus at the moment. She knows the money ain’t gonna last forever’.

  ‘Enough,’ said Charlie. ‘Not here. Not now. We’ll have a crew meeting tomorrow and discuss it properly like we always do’. He tossed an expired cigarette to the ground.

  ‘Fair enough,’ said Mike. ‘I’ll make the arrangements and let everyone know what time’.

  ‘Fine,’ said Charlie. He downed his whisky and lit up another cigarette.

  Veronica slid over to behind Mike and put her arms around him.

  ‘Hey you,’ she said. ‘Sure this idea ain’t a bit risky?’ She seemed to be genuinely concerned.

  ‘Have you been listening in? I told you before, not to do that,’ said Mike. She let her hands drop, shifted away and slumped into a chair, her arms crossed.

  Eddie studied each of the group. Mike, Roger and Bill were sharing a joke and laughing. Kenny was looking towards the pool, seemingly hypnotised by the groups of young women in skimpy swimwear, Eddie decided. His other arm rested on his lap with an empty cocktail glass in his hand.

  Charlie was cuddling the young blonde. What was her name again?

  Eddie tried to make out what they were talking about, but “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” by Cyndi Lauper, was blaring out of the club’s music system. Veronica remained on her chair, her arms still resolutely folded. He leaned over and tapped her on the shoulder.

  ‘You look like you need a refill. Martini, was it?’ he asked. She nodded. He saw that she had tears in her eyes.

  ‘Debs wants to dance,’ shouted Charlie. ‘Bring Veronica. Mike don’t dance,’ Eddie saw his brother being dragged towards the dance floor by the young blonde girl.

  ‘Nah, I don’t -’. He felt his hand being grasped.

  ‘You’ve been given an order, soldier,’ said Veronica. She was already standing up and looking into his eyes. He could not refuse her.

  ‘Jesus, okay. One song though. I ain’t no dancer’.

  ‘I’ll be the judge of that,’ she whispered in his ear, before she backed into the crowd, beckoning at him to follow, swaying her shoulders to the music.

  Christ, she’s gorgeous.

  Eddie walked towards her, noting the surrounding dancers. He had not been on a dance floor for several years, and the bizarre movements of the dancers were utterly alien to him.

  ‘Don’t worry what you look like,’ said Veronica. ‘Just let yourself go. Have some friggin’ fun, you stiff’. She moved closer to him - so close he could smell her breath. As she wiped her forehead with her arm, Eddie’s gaze inadvertently dropped to her cleavage. She noticed. ‘You can have a better look later?’ she said. Her tone sounded innocent but Eddie doubted that her intentions were. He averted his eyes. ‘Don’t think I haven’t been watching you all night neither,’ she said.

  ‘Veronica -’.

  She twisted one hundred and eighty degrees, swayed from one side to the other in perfect rhythm to the music, then arched her back, flung her arms in the air and fell back towards him. Eddie darted forward and grabbed her, dropping a cigarette to the floor in his panic. He found himself gazing down at her smiling, upside-down face and at her breasts again.

  ‘My saviour,’ she said, before twisting out of his grasp and resuming her dancing.

  I think it’s me that needs saving.

  Eddie caught his brother looking at him from ten feet away, Debbie cavorting close by. Charlie mouthed something. Eddie was pretty sure it was, “Be careful”. To Eddie’s relief, the song ended and was replaced by “Rock of Ages”, one of Eddie’s favourite songs. He started nodding his head to the guitar riffs. Veronica grimaced.

  ‘I bloody hate Def Leppard,’ she muttered.

  ‘Just when I was enjoying it,’ he thought.

  ‘Let’s go get that drink’. She grabbed his hand and pulled him away but all of a sudden froze, her attention focused on something behind Eddie. He saw Mike standing a short distance away, repeatedly shoving Kenny who was back towards the pool.

  ‘Here we fucking go again,’ Veronica growled.

  They pushed their way through the crowd towards the two men.

  ‘I got a better fucking offer,’ Eddie heard Kenny shout. Mike shoved the smaller man again, with more vigour than before. ‘Leave it out, you wanker’.

  Charlie made his way towards the pair who were now standing precariously close to the water. ‘Pack it up, the pair of you,’ he shouted. ‘What do yer think you’re playing at?’

  ‘Daniel Ortega just walked up to me and said he’d bought Kenny’s boat this morning,’ said Mike, who was gripping Kenny’s shirt in one hand, poised to deliver a punch.

  ‘So what?’ said Charlie.

  ‘So he’d promised me I could have it,’ said Mike.

  ‘You only offered me eight grand,’ said Kenny. Ortega offered me fifteen. And he had the cash there with him. I weren’t gonna turn that down, was I?’

  Eddie, who was now standing a few feet from Mike, glanced at his older brother to show that they were now the centre of attention for at least a hundred of the other party-goers. ‘Do something,’ he mouthed.

  Charlie nodded and moved closer t
o Mike. ‘Please, Mike. Everyone is watching. Calm down’.

  Mike, still holding the shaking Kenny in a firm grip, peered around at the assembled audience then sighed and relaxed his grip. ‘I ain’t gonna forget this, Ken,’ he said as he let go of his fellow Englishman.

  ‘Good. Okay, let’s all calm down, shall we?’ said Charlie.

  Kenny examined his shirt and noticed it was torn. ‘You ripped my poxy shirt you thick fuckin bastard,’ he shouted.

  Mike twisted on the spot and, with the agility of someone half his age, punched Kenny full-force in the stomach with his left hand. His right followed half a second later, smashing into Kenny’s nose.

  Kenny, doubled up and with blood streaming from his face, took a step backwards, slipped and fell into the swimming pool.

  ‘For fuck’s sake,’ screamed Charlie.

  Eddie darted to the poolside. Kenny was floating upside down in the water, a small plume of water tinted pink by the infusion of blood. Eddie reacted without hesitation and leapt into the pool. He hit the water like an exploding mine, sending water over Mike and Charlie, swam to Kenny and lifted the unconscious man’s head was out of the water. He pulled the bloodied Brit to the poolside. ‘Quick, lift him out,’ he barked.

  Mike stood motionless, a sly smile on his face. ‘Let the bastard drown,’ he said.

  Bill and Roger appeared at the side of the pool and reached down to grab their friend. They heaved him up and pulled him onto the white paving stones.

  ‘Is he breathing?’ said Veronica, her mouth obscured by her hand. Eddie lifted himself out of the water and up onto his knees. He remained there for a few moments, panting.

  Charlie kneeled down next to Kenny’s head. ‘Ken? Can you hear me, mate?’ he shouted. Kenny opened his eyes and nodded his head.

  ‘Thank fuck for that,’ said Bill.

  ‘You fucking moron,’ said Roger, and shoved Mike in the chest.

  Charlie stood up. ‘Enough, already,’ he shouted before looking at Mike, and in a much quieter tone, muttered, ‘Go home, now’. The two men stood staring each other out. Mike’s teeth were clenched. ‘I said go home, now,’ Charlie repeated.

  Eddie moved to stand next to his brother. ‘You heard my brother,’ he said.