“You have my word.”
“What the bloody hell are you doing, Laura?” Wardsley pulled himself up out the bushes.. “You’ll end up doing a stretch with him. Have you lost your mind? We’re taking him in.”
“I’m just letting him do what we’re failing to do, Jack – making the streets safer. How many criminals have we seen walk free just to commit more crimes. How many killers are walking the streets right now laughing at how powerless we are? I for one am sick of it. It’s time someone hit back and showed these thugs that they don’t get to avoid all consequences for their actions.”
Wardsley shook his head. “If anyone finds out…”
“No one will,” said Dalton, “and admit it – you want to see Frankie punished as well. Not just him but every arrogant little yob like him. We’ve been in the force almost ten years, Jack. Wouldn’t you like them all to know that sometimes the victims bite back?”
Wardsley thought about things for a moment and then seemed to relax his shoulders. It was clear he was struggling with something internally, but it was also clear that he trusted his partner. “I must be off my rocker,” he said. “We’re going to regret this, Laura.”
Officer Dalton looked at Andrew. “I don’t know how you’re going to find him, but he’s been known to hang around with a local drug dealer, Damien Banks. 14 Middleton Mews.”
Andrew thanked the both of them and hurried past, sprinting down the path. He stopped in his tracks before disappearing completely, halted by the sound of Officer Dalton’s voice.
“Penelope’s dead,” she told him. “We got word she died twenty minutes ago. The hospital have been trying to contact you. I’m sorry.”
Andrew said nothing, didn’t turn around. Instead he glared forward into the rain-soaked night with nothing else but murder on his mind. “I’ll see you both in the morning,” he said to the officers, then disappeared into the darkness.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Davie waited anxiously for Frankie to get off the phone. His brother was clutching the mobile so tight to his face that it was threatening to crack his skull. Davie didn’t know who was on the other end of the call, or even what was being said, but he could tell one thing for certain: things were bad.
“No fuckin’ way!” Frankie screamed into the phone. “How the hell did it happen?”
After several more minutes of shouting and cursing, Frankie ended the call and put the phone back in his jean pocket. He then proceeded to stand there, saying nothing, staring at an invisible spot in the sky. His twitch was acting up again and his whole face seemed to be breakdancing under the stinging caress of the rain.
“What is it?” Davie asked. “What’s happened?”
“Jordan’s dead.”
Davie could not have cared less about the twins, but the shock of hearing something so unexpected hit Davie in his stomach like a lead-filled boxing glove. There was no way Jordan could be dead.
I saw him last night.
Frankie elaborated. “That fucker bowled up to him at the hospital and gutted him like a fish.”
“You mean Andrew did this?”
“Dom heard a nurse give a description to the police. It was definitely him. Fucker’s dead meat.”
Davie couldn’t believe it. Andrew committing murder was insane. “What was Jordan doing at the hospital anyway? He should have known Andrew would be there with his family.”
“He was getting his face checked out. Dom said he almost fainted this morning because it was so infected. He had no choice but to go the hospital.”
“Is Dom still at the hospital now? What about Andrew?”
“Dom’s out looking for the piece of shit as we speak. He’ll kill him if he finds him. Works out well for us, actually.”
Davie couldn’t understand how calm his brother was being. Hadn’t Jordan been his friend? “What do you mean it works out well for us?”
Frankie shrugged as if the answer was obvious. “Because the guy’s a problem and needs dealing with. If Dom gets to him first then we don’t have to worry about him coming after us.”
“You think that’s going to happen? You think Andrew is planning to do the same to us as he did Jordan?”
“Seems likely,” said Frankie. “The reason Jordan was alone when he got stabbed was that his brother had gone to look for that guy’s family – to see if they were still alive and whether or not we’re facing a murder charge.”
“And are we?”
“Yes and no. The girl’s okay, apparently, but the old dear snuffed it about the same time that Jordan did. Messed up, if you think about it.”
You don’t have to think about it to see that the whole thing is fucked up, Frankie. I could have told you that from the start.
“So you see,” said Frankie, “if Dom gets to Andrew first he’s doing us all a favour. The police are after his ass, his wife is dead, and he has nothing else left to lose by coming after us.”
“He still has a daughter,” said Davie, holding on to the fact that they had not taken away absolutely everything from the man.
“Yeah he does.” Frankie nodded. “Good thinking, little bro. We still have something to use against him if we need to.”
“Fuck sake, man! Have you not done enough damage? I can’t believe you’re still thinking about hurting people.”
“Chill out!”
Davie shoved Frankie hard in the chest. “No, you chill out! Goddamn it. I’m so out of here. You can go right to hell for all I care.”
Davie turned away from his brother and started walking.
“You get back here right now!” Frankie shouted after him. “We need to stick together with that psycho on the loose, you hear me?”
Davie turned back around and started marching back towards his brother. “You don’t get it, do you, Frankie? The only psychopath here is you. You belong in jail, man. They should never have let you out”
Frankie pulled out his gun and pointed it in Davie’s face.
“Seriously?” Davie shook his head and sighed. Rain was pouring down his face. “You’re pointing that thing at me? You going to shoot your own brother now?”
Frankie’s face twitched and the movement seemed to tremor down to his arm which was holding the revolver unsteadily. In fact his entire body was shaking.
“Just do it!” Davie ordered him. “I don’t give a fuck anymore.”
Frankie’s face contorted, the veins in his neck bulging like worms beneath his skin. Davie had never seen his brother like this – so close to freaking out. After a few tense seconds, Frankie chose to lower the weapon. Tears glistened in his eyes, but he did not speak.
Davie had nothing to say either. He started walking away.
“I don’t want you to get hurt, Davie.”
“Don’t worry about it,” he replied over his shoulder. “You gave me a gun. If I’m in danger I’ll take a leaf out of your book and start killing people.”
“Where are you going to go?”
Davie thought about it. Then said: “Home.”
Frankie followed after him, footsteps splashing in the puddles and keeping time with his own. “That’s the first place Andrew will look for us.”
“Then I’ll have to deal with the consequences. It’s not as though we didn’t cause trouble at his house, is it? We deserve whatever we get.”
“Why the hell you care so much about this guy?”
Davie stopped walking again and looked at his brother. “Because if I didn’t care then I would be just the same as you, and I never want that. Never.” Davie could tell he had hurt Frankie with his words – the silence told him so – but he didn’t care.
“Do what the fuck you want!” said Frankie. “But if I go down I’m taking you with me – and you wouldn’t last ten minutes inside.”
Davie laughed. “I think that’s actually something to be proud of. I’m glad I’m not cut out for prison – means I’m still a human being and not an animal.”
For the first time in his life Davie t
urned his back on his big brother and walked away.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Andrew had no clue what he planned on doing, but he had lost none of his motivation that he would do something. For all he knew, he could be walking towards a house full of druggies carrying knives even nastier than the one he currently had hidden on his person.
The house in front of him was large, posh even, and certainly not what Andrew had been expecting.
I guess crime really does pay.
Before he even had chance to complete the walk up the path, the front door opened and a topless young man stood in the opening.
“Who the hell are you?”
“I’m looking for Frankie.”
“Join the club.”
Andrew didn’t understand. “Do you know where I can find him?”
The young man, who Andrew surmised must be Damien, stepped out onto the pavement to meet him. “You’re the guy that has a beef with him, ain’t ya?”
Andrew raised his arm slightly, ready to grab the knife stuffed into his waist band at the slightest hint of a threat. “I guess you could say that?”
Damien grinned. “Well, I hope you mess him up, mate! He has it coming big-style.”
Andrew felt his brow wrinkle. “Huh?”
“Frankie jacked some of my shit earlier. He ain’t a friend of mine no more.”
Andrew attempted a nervous smile. It seemed appropriate in that moment to show friendliness. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. “T-that’s…good to hear. So do you know where I can find him?”
Damien shrugged. “Honestly, I don’t. If I knew, I would tell you. What he done to your family is wrong. How are they?”
“My wife is dead.” Andrew would allow no emotion into his voice as he spoke. He could not afford to be weak right now.
Damien shook his head and seemed genuinely angry. “Guy has a goddamn screw loose!”
Andrew sensed an opportunity to get answers. The young man in front of him seemed genuinely on his side. “Is that why he did this to me? Because he’s crazy?”
“Maybe. Knowing Frankie, it could be nothing more than he doesn’t like your face…” Damien’s words trailed off and a realisation seemed to dawn on his face. “You know what, now that I’m looking at you…”
“What?” Andrew asked. “Do I look like someone?”
Damien huffed and shook his head. “Damn, no wonder the guy hates you.”
Andrew sensed that Damien was about to say more, but then someone appeared in the doorway behind him. Anger welled up inside of him at the sight of her. His eyes narrowed. “Michelle…”
Michelle stared out at Andrew, obviously surprised to see him. Her badly-bruised jaw was agape. Then she turned angry, running at Andrew and screaming. “You killed Jordan, you bastard.”
Andrew sidestepped and shoved out at her. The girl went skidding into the grass on her hands and knees.
“I assume you two have met, then?” Damien quipped from the doorway.
Andrew turned to him. “You going to get involved with this?”
“Hell no! She made her own bed, she can fucking well lie in it.” Damien started to close the door but halfway he stopped and gave Andrew some advice. “Hey, man, watch yourself with Frankie, okay? The stuff he jacked from me; it was a pair of shooters.”
“Guns?” Andrew attempted to clarify, but Damien had already closed the door and turned off the hallway light.
“You piece of shit!” Michelle cursed more obscenities at him as she clambered to her feet. She was half-naked and muddy, covered only by a pair of linen shorts and a strappy top. It didn’t seem to bother her, though, and she launched another attack at Andrew.
Andrew jabbed at the girl ribs. She fell back to the ground, sucking in air. “How’s that feel, sweetheart? I got a blade in my ribs so you still have a ways to go before you know about pain.”
Andrew kicked her hard, striking her ribs in the same exact spot he had punched her. In the glow of the house’s outside lights, Andrew watched Michelle’s cheeks turn maroon as she struggled to get a single breath into her failing lungs.
“Hurts, doesn’t it? Now imagine if I put you through this for hours on end, or made you watch while I tortured your family.” He kicked her again, this time in her rump, as she tried to crawl away through the mud. He felt his foot impact with the pointed tip of her tailbone and she squealed in agony.
“I’m sorry,” she yelled at him, managing to find her breath. “Just…leave me alone…please.”
Andrew looked down at the pathetic, mud-covered teenager and felt no remorse. She was as twisted and as evil as Frankie. In fact, she had delighted in his family’s misery more than anyone else. “Seriously?” he asked her. “You’re going to beg me? Did I not beg you? Did you listen when I pleaded?”
Michelle shook her head, tears smudging her makeup in the same way Penelope’s had the evening before. Andrew struck out again, kicking her face as hard as he could and enjoying the feeling of her teeth cracking. Michelle flopped onto her belly like a beached fish, spitting out broken shards of enamel. The blood in her mouth had transformed her screams into garbled whimpers.
It isn’t enough, though. She deserves even worse.
As much as hatred filled Andrew’s heart and encased his soul, he didn’t possess the ability to beat a young girl to death – regardless of how much she might deserve it. There were other things he could do, though. Time was running out and he had no leads on where to find Frankie, but perhaps Michelle could help him with that. There would be ways to make her talk.
Andrew knocked on Damien’s door and waited for it to open again. When it did, he nodded to the young man inside and said, “I need to borrow something.”
***
It only took minutes to carry Michelle into a nearby nature reserve. Luckily, Damien’s street was upmarket and lined with small outcroppings of woodland. It had been frightening how nobody had noticed Andrew abduct the girl – made him worry about the world his daughter was growing up in – but it wasn’t something he was going to complain about now.
He knelt beside Michelle as she lay propped up against a gnarled oak tree. She was an unconscious mess. While she’d been sleeping, Andrew had used the scissors he had borrowed from Damien to completely remove her hair, humiliating her in the same way she and her friends had done to Pen. It still wasn’t sufficient punishment for what she’d done, but Andrew hoped it was enough to teach her a lesson; something she couldn’t just laugh off.
He slapped at her cheeks to wake her, harder than he needed to because the act itself was so satisfying. After half a dozen whacks, she started to stir. Her eyelids fluttered and her eyeballs rolled forwards from the back of her head. She looked content, like coming out of a pleasant dream, but then her consciousness returned to reality and she saw Andrew leaning over her. She panicked.
“Help me! Please, somebody!”
Andrew slapped her face again, harder than he had done to wake her. Instantly she stopped screaming. “Shut up, girl! I won’t hurt you if you tell me what I want to know.”
Michelle’s eyes were round and white like a frightened animal. Her words came out hurried and in short bursts. “Tell you…what?”
Andrew leaned closer to her, their noses almost touching. “Where’s Frankie?”
“I…I don’t know.”
Andrew slid the knife from his belt and held it to her face, pressing it into the fatty flesh beneath her left eye. “Don’t make me ask you again.”
“Please…please…I really don’t know. Damien said Frankie left his place a few hours ago, before I even got there. Frankie doesn’t even know I was with Damien.”
Andrew huffed. “You really are a piece of work, aren’t you?”
“Please don’t tell him.”
Andrew couldn’t believe it. The girl’s level of self-involvement was astounding. “Do you think I give a damn about your love life? You can screw half of Worcestershire for all I care. I just want Frankie. Besides, I don
’t think he’d like you now that you’ve cut your hair.”
Michelle slapped both hands to her head and squealed when she felt nothing but scalp and random thickets of hair. But before she had time to lose herself to hysteria, Andrew slapped her again. He didn’t have time for her self-pity.
“Tell me where Frankie is, or you’ll lose more than just your hair.”
“I-I don’t know where he is!” Michelle was pleading now and, regrettably, Andrew was inclined to believe her. He was confident that he’d rattled her enough that she wouldn’t dare lie to him; she wasn’t brave enough to. She had no idea where Frankie was.
Andrew removed the knife from beneath her eye, dragging it downwards so that it bit slightly at her flesh. He ignored her flinches of pain and asked his next questions. “Okay. Just tell me where you think he would go. Home, maybe?”
“That’s the last place you’ll find him. He’s never there if he can help it. I know where you can find Dom, though.”
Andrew took a breath in and held it. He hadn’t thought as much about the rest of Frankie’s crew, but they were due just as much punishment as he was. Andrew had already dealt with Jordan, so why not pay his brother a visit, too? At the very least there was a good chance that Dom could lead him closer to Frankie.
“Okay,” said Andrew. “Tell me where to find Dom.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Davie stood at his own front door not wanting to go inside. The thought of facing his mother after the previous night’s events was more than he could handle. There would be lectures, about staying out at all hours and hanging around with Frankie, just waiting for him. It was the very least of what he deserved, but his soul felt so brittle right now that the slightest knock could shatter him like a pane of glass. He needed sleep and nothing else.
Davie turned the handle. The door was not locked because his mother never left the house. As long as she had beer – and an underage son to fetch it for her – then there was no reason to ever face the outside world. He stepped inside and the smell of that very same beer filled his nostrils.
ASBO: A Novel of Extreme Terror Page 17
