by Katsura
www.ai-press.net
Big Deal: Lesson in Betrayal
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Copyright © Katsura and Yuramei
Edited by Sedonia Guillone
All art by Yuramei
Electronic book Publication Big Deal Vol. 2: Lesson in Betrayal (2012) This book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the publisher, Ai Press, 10435 Green Trail Drive N, Boynton Beach, FL 33436
Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. (http://www.fbi.gov/ipr/)
This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the authors’ imagination and used fictitiously.
Praise for Big Deal Vol 1: Lust For Vengeance
I can’t wait for the second installment, as I need to know what happens next and I need to know more about Judas and Vinny. I give it 4.5 stars, only because the author will make me wait. ~~~ Tiger Lily, Booked Up Reviews
Absolutely amazing! You are instantly drawn into the enticing world of Fergus and the mysterious and beautiful Mikhail. Of course the character of Judas will always be my favourite - his wicked sense of humor always makes me laugh! Definitely a book you can read and enjoy again and again! Bring on volume two!! ~~ Screaming Angel, Goodreads
Big Deal Vol. 2:
Lesson in Betrayal
Katsura and Yuramei
Dedication
For Meena and Una. Conspirators and drinking buddies.
Bottoms up!
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank Sedonia Guillone, for once more having the faith and patience to deal with us. Without her, all this wouldn’t be possible.
A big shout out goes to all of our Facebook and Twitter friends. You know who you are, and we know where some of you live. Join our band of happy followers by adding
@bigdealcomic, @tabathathorn and @yuramei to your list.
To Earthcop and Hiragi, thank you, as always, for everything. Hiragi, you can read these books when you are over 18…
.
Author Note
Some of the words and places that I have used here may need some explanation for a non UK reader:
Bookies: Betting shop.
GBH: Grievous Bodily Harm.
Gub (Scots): Mouth
HMP Barlinnie: Her Majesty’s notorious prison in the east end of Glasgow.
Naw (Scots): No
Nick: To steal something.
Podger: Sexual Intercourse.
Tat: Rubbish (also used as short version of tattoo) The Nick : Prison
Readies: An amount of cash in notes.
Chapter One
At the best of times, court can be a daunting place. Mostly you are surrounded by angst of one kind or another. Be it from the fraught accused terrified of conviction or the wary witness who looks about nervously in case they are being eyeballed for reprisal.
There was a real motley crew at the Sheriff Court this day, as was usual for Monday mornings. People who had spent an unexpected weekend as the guests of the local constabulary would have been brought straight to the confines of the court cells in a secure van and left there like unclaimed parcels until their name was called. Then it would be an awkward schlepp up to the dock for the ritual of:
“How do you plead?”
“Not guilty.”
Only Judas MacGregor, who sat in a languid sprawl, appeared to enjoy the proceedings with no more concern on his handsome face than had this been a day out at the races. There had been no weekend spent choking down the shite that the cops called food for him, and indeed, he was afforded the luxury of awaiting his hearing in the hallway and not down in the basement. Most of the poor sods who would be enduring this beginning of the week palaver would be charged with, at worst, a bit of GBH or maybe that common Scottish pastime of being drunk and disorderly. Judas was up for armed robbery and yet still avoided being remanded into custody. Such was the charming inequality of the Everdirge judiciary system.
With no High Court of its own in the village, a special session was held at the lesser Sheriff Court. That said, the presiding judge had all of the same powers of sentencing that he would have had should Judas’s trial have been held in one of the larger nearby cities such as Stirling or Glasgow. This meant that if found guilty, Judas would face a very long stay in prison.
Although not entirely oblivious to this fact, Judas still grinned. He leaned forward to angle his head as a good looking girl walked past him. Her short skirt skimmed deliciously on the back of her smooth tan thighs and he blatantly took in an eyeful.
Skirts were definitely shorter these days. This was one of the many benefits of the recession. Skirts were getting shorter and more people turned to counterfeit goods for their little bit of luxury. It was all good.
He brushed his fingers through the loose waves of his prematurely greying hair and the smile broadened on his wide lips, as the girl looked back at him and giggled.
Judging by her flirtatious reaction, she was not insulted by his attention. So Judas winked at her, a twinkle in his attractive blue eyes. She had really large breasts that strained against the buttons of her blouse and while Judas busied himself wondering if they were surgically enhanced or not, a guy bustled over and gripped her by the upper arm. He was dressed in sports gear, a track suit and baseball cap and from the way he brazenly manhandled the girl out of Judas’s field of vision, he must have been her boyfriend. The shell suit, as his outfit was known locally, was not uncommon apparel for court these days as gone were the times of respect for authority. Judas had practically no respect for anything but he was still smartly attired in an expensive black suit and a red silk tie. The snakeskin shoes on his feet clashed only a little, but were still classy enough for the occasion. The whole ensemble was for his own benefit though and not to impress the lawyers. Judas always liked to look good and today he felt that he was looking particularly sharp. Now a beautiful bird like that deserved to be with someone who knew his Armani from his Asda. Not with some stupid asshole, who despite the sporting nature of his gear had likely never been near a gym in his whole life.
“Mr MacGregor?” A slim young man, his long black hair tied neatly into a ponytail and covered by a grey formal wig, suddenly appeared before him. He waited to get Judas’s full attention. “Mr MacGregor, the court is ready for us.”
Kyle Heath was a newly qualified lawyer and maybe not what one would think of as the perfect choice to defend the notorious Judas but things really did seem to be going well for this particular accused. There was very little evidence against him, apart from some grainy footage from The Royal Alba Bank’s security camera. Then the detective, who had hastily arrested him a few weeks after the robbery in question, had neglected to read him his rights. The masked robber in the footage could really have been anyone and the carelessness not to inform Judas of his right to remain silent had been a disaster for the prosecution when it came out at the close of the previous day’s proceedings.
The blunder was such a boost for the defence that Judas’s usual lawyer, Hilary Heath, had been confident enough to pass the case on to his young and attractive husband Kyle in order that he could get some actual courtroom experience. Mr Heath probably hadn’t intended for Kyle to experience the full on lecherous attentions of Judas, however. Of course, Judas just considered that a bonus for the young man.
As Judas stood up, he straightened his tie and his gaze wandered greedily over
the lawyer. He followed a few paces behind him, the girl with the giant breasts now nothing but a mere memory. A delicious image to call upon later if the mood took him.
Right now Kyle’s attractive form draped in archaic legal robes had his full attention.
There had to be a fantasy in there somewhere. Perhaps fiddling with Kyle’s legal briefs in the seclusion of chambers? Yes, he really wouldn’t mind a go at perverting the course of justice with that little legal eagle.
“Now, Mr MacGregor. Please don’t make me have to tell you again. Only speak when you are spoken too, no laughing at the witnesses…and please, above all, no flirting with the usher. .and the members of the public.”
Judas laughed. “Well can I flirt with you instead?” He took his seat at the place next to Kyle, in front of the judge’s bench.
“How many times do I have to tell you? I am a married man.” Kyle shuffled his papers, a look of exasperation on his fine features.
“I know your husband prefers to be called Heath, and who wouldn’t with a name like Hilary? That’s a girl’s name. You can’t tell me you don’t hanker after some decent cock…” Judas leaned closer and whispered into Kyle’s ear. He intended to continue with his attempts at seduction until Kyle shushed him and got to his feet. The court usher announced the arrival of the judge and an elderly man in red robes and coiffed white wig came slowly into the room.
Judas stood too and looked arrogantly up at the bench.
His lawyer nudged him as the judge finally took his seat. “M’lud, I move that the case against my client be dismissed. All of the statements obtained from Mr MacGregor and presented by the prosecution are now inadmissible. There is truly no case to answer.”
Kyle appeared confident as the judge looked over his notes with a sarcastic expression. Judges usually looked like that so Kyle’s husband Heath, who was seated in the public gallery next to Judas’s close friend Vinny, wouldn’t have been unduly concerned.
“Will he get away with it?” Vinny hissed into Heath’s ear and Heath looked at him with obvious annoyance.
”Well of course one would only say that if he was guilty? Which he is not?” Heath raised an eyebrow, visible behind the heavy framed glasses that he wore. Of course all lawyers knew there was a pretty good chance that their client was guilty as sin, but those at the firm of Heath, Heath and Associates always worked on the premise of innocent unless the accused said otherwise. That way, to defend even the most loathsome of people, could be done with a relatively clear conscience. Judas MacGregor had been protesting his innocence loudly, frequently and in the most colourful language imaginable since he had first set foot in the office. However, he always settled his account early, usually in used notes, so if he said he didn’t do it, then the Heaths were happy to believe him.
“Yeah,” Vinny nodded, “…’course.”
Vinny Bryan was a rather distinctive looking character seated next to the very neat and formal looking Heath. He had waist long hair styled in a multitude of tight braids that had been dyed a vivid shade of wine. Many piercings adorned his face. One in his eyebrow, one in his nose and one just below his lower lip. These were only the visible ones as his tongue and cock were also decorated with the same little silver studs.
Vinny leaned over the balcony edge and looked down at Judas. A grin formed on his attractive mouth.
Judas stood cockily, his legs apart and his chin lifted as he glanced up at Vinny, his stance reminiscent of one he had taken a little while back, one late autumn afternoon in a village branch of a certain bank…
Judas had been wearing a ski mask, the gun in his hand pointed menacingly at the terrified tellers, while Vinny, in similar garb, gripped a bag of the loot. That robbery seemed a million years ago now. It had gone so completely wrong and Judas had not only almost lost his liberty but a few days later, he almost lost his life. It seemed now that a glorious miscarriage of justice was about to see him get off scot free.
So who said that crime did not pay?
The judge looked at Judas over the rim of his glasses with an expression of scorn.
“Mr MacGregor,” he spoke in a very cultured yet no nonsense voice, “you can stand up straight or it’s a night in the cells for you. Take that arrogant look off your face.”
Kyle nudged Judas again and Judas reluctantly complied. He stood up straighter and lowered his chin. These old men could be bastards sometimes and it wasn’t unheard of for an accused to be sent to the cells for less.
The judge then stared across at the frayed looking prosecution lawyer who had the appearance of someone who hadn’t had a decent meal or sleep in weeks. “Well, well, Mr Agnew…yet another case before me that should never have made it past the Procurator Fiscal.” He sighed and shook his head before he gathered the documents in front of him and got to his feet. “The case against Judas MacGregor is dismissed.”
“Fucking yes, man!” Vinny stood up and cheered. He punched the air with triumph.
Heath looked at him with a mortified expression. “Sit down for goodness sake!”
Heath’s glasses had been knocked askew and he struggled to get the younger man back into his seat before fixing them.
“Hey, Wilson!” Judas yelled across at the detective inspector whose tenacious policing had brought Judas to trial, but whose stupidity had ultimately got him off.
“Fuck you!”
Kyle gasped and gripped Judas by the arm to hastily remove him from the courtroom before the judge could send him down for contempt.
Wilson sat in the witness area, his dull features fixed.
He had been paid by Fergus Campbell to make sure that Judas was put behind bars.
Fergus, just like many other people, couldn’t really stand Judas and Judas was now well aware of his unpopularity with the Clan Campbell. It amused Judas that he seemed to have added the detective inspector to the growing list of people who wanted to see him go down.
Out in the hall amidst the usual buzz of the court, Heath stood next to Vinny and waited for his husband. Judas swaggered towards them and Vinny grinned with obvious pride at the approach of his friend and mentor.
“No one does arrogance like Judas MacGregor.” Vinny nodded his head slowly as he spoke.
“Well done, darling.” Heath patted Kyle on the arm and Kyle looked back at him, seemingly unimpressed.
“Well I didn’t really do anything.” He moved to stand closer to his husband, and also to avoid Judas’s hand that he’d rested against the younger lawyer’s waist.
“True.” Vinny nodded in agreement. “That fucking prick Wilson is useless.”
Vinny threw his arms around Judas and hugged him tightly. Judas grinned then freed himself to turn again to his legal team. “What can I say, guys? I owe you one!”
“Yes. We will send you the bill.” Heath looked at him with a wry smirk.
“Naw, seriously,” Judas rested his arm around Vinny’s shoulder. Unlike Kyle, Vinny didn’t resist his touch, “you will join us for a drink?”
“No!” The lawyers spoke hastily in unison, Heath then continued, “We have another client to see but some other time.”
Both men shook Judas’s hand and left. He and Vinny watched their hasty retreat with some amusement.
“They don’t like me, Vinny. I am crushed.” Judas wiped away an imaginary tear.
Vinny snorted with laughter and patted his back. “Well I like you, you fucking reprobate. I like you a lot. So let’s go and get pissed!”
They headed for the door but before they could step outside, Wilson appeared. He blocked their exit, his face contorted with loathing. “You got away with it this time, you fucking bastard…making me look like a total prat.”
“No.” Judas shook his head. “Let me correct you there. You made yourself look a total prat. And if you don’t get out of my fucking way right now, I might just share with all the lovely people here, why it was so important for you to see me convicted in the first place.”
Wilson would have no choice
but to admit defeat on this one. He’d failed the task that he was paid to do. Made a total arse of it all actually. Fergus Campbell had turned decidedly uncooperative of late and the only reason the prosecution went ahead at all was at the insistence of Fergus’s father, the notorious gangster Big Callum. Callum had likely been on Wilson’s back day and night in an effort to get him to salvage at least something from the botched attempt at stitching Judas up. Judas never thought of himself as an overly lucky man but recent events had gone in his favour. The attempt to have him locked up had fallen flat on its face. Judas avoided his ass being sent to prison, along with the rest of him.
There were two things that terrified Judas MacGregor. Worms and prison.
It was easy enough to avoid the worms. Just don’t go near the grass verges after it rained. For a crook, avoiding prison was more a little more tricky. Especially when your former friend seemed hell bent on sending you there.
Wilson gave Judas a look of contempt before sharply taking the steps down to the street.
Judas stared after him coldly. Wilson was a marked man now and had better watch his back. Judas obviously bore him a grudge but that would be the least of the detective’s worries. No one crossed the Campbells and got away with it. Judas knew this only too well. By failing to come across with the goods as it were, Wilson had failed them big style.
Judas turned his attention to Vinny again and forced his mouth into a playful frown. He gave a slight shrug of his shoulders. “Another guy who hates me. At this rate I will have no one.”
Vinny smiled and they walked outside together. “Whole world is full of dickheads like that, Jude. No great loss you don’t impress him. But, you still always got me.”
Judas once more rested his arm around the younger man’s shoulder.
