Becoming...

by Jacob Rayne

  ‘Best put it out then,’ Otis said as he reached the doctor.

  ‘Yes, before I call security and have all of you forcibly ejected from the premises.’

  Otis sucked in a last lungful of smoke, then nodded thoughtfully. Then, with sudden ferocity, he thrust his hand forward and crushed the cigarette into the doctor’s forehead.

  The doctor tried to shrink back, but Otis held him against the wall and shoved the blazing cigarette hard into his face.

  ‘There ya go, Doc,’ he laughed. The others joined him.

  ‘Forcibly ejected!’ Tommy scoffed. ‘Who the fuck is this kid?’

  Otis gave the doctor a slap for his cheek and slumped back into his chair.

  ‘We do what the fuck we want, when we want to do it,’ he explained calmly. ‘Ain’t much anyone can do about it. Now, tell me how my friend is doing.’

  ‘He’s stable, but we almost lost him,’ the doctor blurted. ‘Now, get out of here, because I’m going for security as soon as I get out of this room.’

  ‘If you call security I’ll cut off your shrivelled dick and make you eat it,’ Dave said, flashing the handle of his knife to the terrified doctor. ‘Now get the fuck out of here.’

  The doctor’s eyes widened when he saw the knife. He gulped and left the room without saying a word.

  The gang collapsed in fits of laughter.

  ‘Olly, go see if that little prick has called security,’ Otis said.

  Olly considered questioning, but Otis was the unofficial leader in Johnny T’s absence. Otis was the cruellest motherfucker around, except for maybe Dave. The two of them usually agreed on everything, so it wasn’t wise to front either of them.

  With this in mind, he swallowed his pride and went out into the corridor.

  Chapter 44

  Olly was looking for the doctor when he saw Hirst making his way out of the next ward. He pressed himself against the wall as he saw the policeman approach.

  It was obvious to him why Hirst was at the hospital. He carefully followed the cop out to the car park, hiding on the handful of occasions he turned to check behind him.

  On the way to his car, Hirst stopped to talk to a girl. They talked for almost a minute, then he got into his car and pulled away.

  Olly made a note of the number plate and wandered around the hospital, looking lost, until someone came and asked if he needed help. He gave them some bullshit, trying to blag his way onto Luke’s ward, but the nurse called his bluff and turned him away.

  ‘Hey,’ Olly said. ‘I think the freak’s in the hospital somewhere. I’ve just seen that Hirst prick coming out of the next ward along. There was a girl too. He was talking to her.’

  ‘Did you manage to get in?’ Dave asked.

  ‘No, the bitch of a nurse turned me away,’ Olly said.

  ‘We’ll see if we can get to him,’ Tommy said.

  ‘Yeah, we’ll have to finish him now the cops are involved,’ Dave said. ‘Ain’t no way I’m going back inside.’

  ‘Fuck that,’ Otis spat.

  They sunk into a sullen silence, then the door swung open. Johnny T and Billy swaggered in. Johnny T looked hard as fuck with his new facial stitches.

  ‘What’s up, pussies?’ Johnny T beamed.

  ‘Fuck you calling a pussy? Faggot ass bitch,’ Otis snarled, getting out of his chair and squaring up to Johnny T. He held his stare for a few seconds then relaxed, smiled and slapped him on the shoulder. ‘Good to have you back, man. Got some shit you need to hear.’

  ‘It’ll have to wait,’ Billy said. ‘There’s a few big ass security guards on the way here. Did one of you pricks attack a doctor?’

  Otis grinned. ‘No match for me, I’m sure. I’ll stab the son of a bitch so much he’ll look like he’s inside out.’

  ‘No,’ Dave said. ‘We’re gonna have to keep our noses clean so we can come back for the freak later. They’ll be looking for us if we stab a security guard.’

  ‘He’s right,’ Olly said. ‘And I’ve been out there, there are cameras all over the fucking place.’

  ‘Ah, shit, man, I ain’t afraid of a few motherfucking cameras,’ Otis said.

  ‘Let’s get outta here before we’re all fuckin’ lifted,’ Dave said.

  The rest of the gang looked at him for a moment then decided he was right. They ran out of the hospital into the night.

  Chapter 45

  A few hours later, after sharing a few beers and telling Johnny T and Billy that it seemed the freak they’d attacked was holed up in the hospital, the gang had gone their separate ways.

  Olly was making a drug sale in the graveyard on the edge of town when he saw Hirst’s car pass. Wanting to make sure he wasn’t imagining it, he squinted at the rear license plate and confirmed it was the cop’s car.

  His buyer was fumbling in his pocket for money.

  ‘This is a freebie,’ Olly said. ‘I gotta be somewhere else, man.’

  The buyer grinned like he’d just found out he’d won the lottery. Olly turned and ran, trying to keep the car in sight as it turned into an urban area.

  His legs and lungs already starting to burn (that’s what smoking cheap dope does for aerobic fitness) he slowed to a walk.

  He walked as fast as he could, hoping that he could follow the cop to his destination.

  It was a disappointment when the car turned off and headed towards the hospital. He had hoped it was going to lead him to wherever the freak was living.

  ‘I’m onto you, pig,’ he muttered.

  He moved to the hospital car park and hid behind a fence while the cop got out of the car.

  Luke was just drifting off into a pained sleep when there was a knock at the door. Sergeant Hirst poked his head in. ‘How ya doing?’ he said, smiling.

  ‘Been better,’ Luke said, returning Hirst’s awkward smile. He beckoned the policeman in and told him to sit down.

  ‘Sorry to bother you when you’re trying to recover,’ Hirst began.

  ‘Not at all,’ Luke said.

  ‘I’ll get this over quickly,’ Hirst said, ‘and let you get back to your sleep.’ He pulled a file out from under his long tan-coloured jacket. ‘There are photos here of the Marshton Eight – the gang I’d bet attacked you and Tom. There are a few photos of known associates of the gang, and also a few dummy ones, so we can’t be accused of putting ideas in your head.’

  Luke nodded.

  Hirst passed him the photos.

  The first one showed the big youth who had broken Luke’s nose.

  ‘I recognise this dickhead,’ Luke said straight away.

  ‘I thought you might. That’s Johnny T, the leader of the gang.’

  ‘Yeah, he was the one who seemed to be in charge.’

  Luke looked through the rest of the photos, nodding when he recognised one of the gang, shaking his head when he didn’t.

  Hirst put the photos in two piles, depending on whether they contained one of the gang.

  In the end, eight photos were on one pile, ten on the other.

  ‘Yep, it’s the eight fuckbags I had thought,’ Hirst said. ‘Have you thought about pressing charges?’

  ‘I’ve thought about it and decided not to. Sorry.’

  ‘You’ve put your neck on the line enough as it is. I appreciate it.’

  ‘It’s the least I could do.’

  ‘Well I’m grateful. As Tom would be if he knew what was going on.’ He smiled, again the sad smile of a broken man. ‘I’ll not take up any more of your time. Thank you, Luke. I’m going to do my best to nail these fuckers.’

  Luke nodded.

  ‘Thanks for your time,’ Hirst smiled, looking at Luke’s raw, exposed face. ‘And I’m sorry to interrupt your sleep.’

  ‘It’s worth it if it means you can catch those wankers,’ Luke said.

  ‘I couldn’t agree more,’ Hirst said, standing up and walking to the door. ‘Take care, Luke. If you need any help give me a call. I hope you’re feeling better soon.’

  ‘Thanks,’
Luke said.

  Hirst drove away.

  Chapter 46

  Early the next afternoon the seven members of the Marshton Eight not in hospital got together and tried to decide who was the best man to go and finish the freak.

  Billy drew the short straw, as he had been in the hospital already. The plan was for him to wander into the ward and, if challenged, say that he had left some of his belongings behind.

  He snuck a small kitchen knife under his tracksuit top and made his way to the hospital, on the verge of panic for almost the whole journey.

  He had never killed before, but had come close when a fire he’d started almost killed a father and his two young children. The thought of killing someone in cold blood terrified him but he knew he had to go through with it. The rest of the gang would look up to him if he did this to take care of their shit for them.

  He shoved open the doors to the hospital, his heart slamming like the beat of his beloved house music. The knife felt cold as it touched against his back.

  His eyes were on the floor six feet in front of him, not wanting to meet the gaze of anyone who worked at the hospital. He knew that guilt was written all over his face.

  At the entrance to Luke’s ward he straight-armed the door open. It smacked into the wall behind, making him jump a little.

  Way to go, draw attention to yourself, he thought. Like I don’t look suspicious enough already.

  He ignored these niggling voices in the back of his mind and moved into the ward. A blonde nurse came to greet him. She gave him a kind smile and asked if he needed any assistance.

  ‘Er, y-yes. I was in here yesterday,’ he said, flashing his stitched hand to her as some kind of identification.

  ‘Oh, yes. Did you leave something behind?’

  ‘Erm, yeah. I did. I just got one of those new I-Phones. Left the fucking thing in the night stand.’ He silently cursed himself for swearing. That would hardly help him remain inconspicuous.

  ‘They’re expensive,’ the nurse smiled. ‘You must have too much money if you’re chucking one of those things away.’

  He smiled but it felt forced. Awkward.

  ‘Which room were you in?’

  Inspiration hit him like a ton of bricks. ‘I was in the bed next to the lad who had the black tattoo on his face.’

  ‘Ah, yes. Well, he’s not here anymore.’

  ‘Shit. I borrowed a tenner off him,’ Billy said, slapping his hand to his brow theatrically. He decided to push his luck. ‘Do you know where he went?’

  The nurse suddenly didn’t seem so comfortable with him. ‘No, I’m sorry, I don’t.’

  ‘Are you sure? I feel really bad about it. Poor sod had been through enough without me robbing his money too.’ He laughed but it sounded painfully fake.

  The nurse’s face turned up like he’d unleashed a particularly potent fart. ‘No, I’m sorry. I don’t know where he went.’ She paused, then added. ‘And even if I did I wouldn’t be allowed to tell you. Your phone should be somewhere in that room.’ She pointed to a room down the corridor then hurried away.

  Smooth, Billy thought. Now I’m going to have to make believe while I search for my imaginary phone. Smart move, dickhead.

  Billy stepped into the empty ward, making a great show of looking under the beds and along the walls. If anyone was watching him he wanted to make it look real.

  His instincts were telling him to run, this was way past the point of being a bad idea.

  He paused, looking in the drawers of a nightstand.

  As he stood up, he registered movement out of the corner of his eye. A split-second later, the fist struck him in the temple. The hard blow was even more destructive due to its unexpected nature.

  The smell of bleach flooded into his nostrils as he fell. A strong hand gripped the back of his head and slammed it into the floor.

  Facedown, he couldn’t see his assailant. The strong hand smacked his head into the hard floor again.

  While blood ran down the back of his throat, almost choking him, the hand snuck around his neck and, with practised ease, sunk into his trachea.

  Billy’s breathing laboured, panic and the strong fingers combining to make a dangerous team.

  ‘Listen to me, you little prick,’ the harsh voice breathed into his ear. ‘I know what you and your shitty little gang did. You’re going to pay for it. Mark my fucking words, sonny. You’re going to pay for it. Pass this on to your bum-buddies.’

  While Billy floundered, weakly trying to pull the vicelike grip from around his throat, the hand released. He wheezed, gulping in air.

  The hand grabbed the back of his head again and lifted it high. Then it crashed down to the floor. Consciousness slipped away from Billy.

  His unseen assailant gave his body a contemptuous kick then snuck out of the hospital.

  Chapter 47

  Johnny T wasn’t happy when Billy told him that he’d been unable to find the kid they’d attacked.

  ‘Fucking knew I should have sent someone else,’ he said.

  ‘He tried,’ Olly said. ‘Ain’t his fault the fucker’d upped and gone.’

  ‘No, I guess not,’ Johnny T mused.

  ‘There was someone there,’ Billy said. For the first time, his mates noticed the blood around his nose and the way the appendage was swollen and twisted.

  ‘Whoa, you look like you had the shit kicked out of you,’ Otis laughed. ‘What happened? Nurse throw you out?’

  The others laughed until Johnny T quieted them. ‘Who was it?’

  ‘No fucking idea, I never saw them,’ Billy said. ‘But he said that we were going to pay for what we did.’

  ‘Must be the kid,’ Otis said. ‘I’d want revenge if I was him.’

  ‘Maybe it’s the cop,’ Olly said. ‘I saw him at the hospital. The freak must have grassed on us.’

  ‘You might be right,’ Johnny T said. ‘We’ll give the freak’s girl a message. No one fucks with us. We’ll find out where she lives and scare the shit out of her.’

  ‘I reckon we should put the cop out of commission before this goes any further,’ Otis said.

  ‘Na, I ain’t killing a cop,’ Johnny T said. ‘We’d never get off with that. We just scare the girl. She’ll not be able to prove it was us.’

  Chapter 48

  Luke woke in unfamiliar surroundings. Since the gang had tattooed him it seemed like he was constantly waking up in strange places.

  This particular strange place was painted white, with a small barred window on the far wall. There were a few shelves on the wall to his right. The small bed he lay upon was soft and had a pile of his clothes neatly folded on the bottom of it.

  He sat up, rubbed sleep out of his eyes. The pain in his face became more intense than ever, making him curse his decision to rub his eyes.

  There was a stainless steel sink in the corner, over which was a small plastic mirror which reminded him of the events that had taken place the last time he’d seen his own reflection.

  He recoiled in horror and let out a cry. The pain meant that all of it had been real. He’d really cut off most of his face to remove the tattoo of the clown’s face-paint.

  Standing, he approached the mirror, treating it as if it was a venomous snake.

  He was torn. He didn’t want to see what a mess he’d made of his face, but he needed to know whether he’d managed to remove all of the tattoo.

  His heart sledging off his ribs, he paused by the sink. Then he looked.

  The face that greeted him was not noticeably his own. The huge masses of scar tissue that surrounded his eyes and mouth were an abomination. His face, usually pale, was now sickly fish-belly white in colour. The stitches that lined the edges of scar tissue looked angry and inflamed.

  He screamed, startled by the horrific sight that met his eyes. The black ink had gone, at least, but his right eyelid was just a fleshy nub. He had never been fond of his own appearance but now he hated what he saw. Screaming, he started to pull at the stitches.


  As he did, a section of wall to his left retracted and two big men ran in. They were clad in white and had expressions of concern rather than anger.

  ‘Please, Luke, don’t do this,’ the largest one said.

  Luke ignored him and started pulling a loose piece of thread from above his eye. A drop of blood snaked down his face.

  ‘We don’t want to do this, but it’s for your own good,’ the second man said, grabbing Luke and twisting his arm up behind his back. Luke cried out in frustration as the two men dragged him to the bed.

  ‘Fucking come on then!’ he cried, trying to wrench his arm loose. His teeth snapped towards the first man’s arm.

  They put him facedown on the bed where he snarled and spat and snapped his teeth. The larger man sat atop his back, pinning him to the bed.

  ‘Luke, you’re here to get better,’ he said. ‘It’s our job to help you.’

  ‘You can help by getting the fuck off me.’

  ‘Not until I’m sure you’ve calmed down,’ the man said.

  Luke thrashed for a good half an hour before his energy ran out. The man very cautiously lifted a little of his weight. Luke didn’t react, other than to take a deep breath.

  The man stood up from Luke’s back. As he did so, Luke turned and threw a vicious punch, catching the man off guard and almost knocking him over.

  The two men lunged at him, seeking to restrain rather than hurt. Luke grappled with them for a few minutes before a third man came in. The two men held him as best they could while the third man approached.

  Luke’s eyes widened when he saw the dripping hypodermic needle in the hand of the new arrival. His feet lashed out, bursting the lips of one of the men.

  They doubled their efforts, pinning him to the bed facedown. There was little he could do. The third man snuck the needle into the side of Luke’s neck and depressed the plunger.

  Luke felt the anger and fear ebb away from him in a tide of pharmaceutical warmth. His body went limp. One of the two men rolled him to his back.

  They smiled down upon him.