The Hunted

by KERRY BARNES

  ‘Mikey, I’ve lost one of my hands. The arm is badly scarred. Don’t be alarmed, though, please. I just wanted you to know before the visit.’

  ‘Oh no!’ he cried out. ‘Oh, my darling, what did they fucking do to you? Jesus Christ!’

  ‘Mikey, please, I’m fine. Please don’t worry about me. I’ll come and see you this afternoon, and I would love to meet Ricky. I’m so pleased for you, Mikey. He was all you ever wanted, and you’ve got him back.’

  There was a pause, before Mike said softly, ‘Not only him, babe. You too.’

  She was so overwhelmed with hearing his voice and those words – after all those years of being locked away and dreaming of him – that tears flowed in streams down her cheeks.

  They said their emotional goodbyes and Mike placed his arm around Ricky’s shoulders.

  Ricky could feel his father trembling with shock and relief. ‘Is she lovely, Dad?’

  ‘Yeah, Son. I know she ain’t ya mother, but—’

  ‘Dad, as far as I’m concerned, I don’t have a mother. Not a proper one, at any rate. Jackie was never a mother to me, she was … Well, let’s just say I never want to see her again.’

  Mike listened and tears began to well up. His son was a gentle young man with a big heart, and now he wanted to know what he’d been through – what kind of a life he’d had.

  Just as they were about to walk back to Mike’s cell, Staffie came over with Crayford, his personal officer and the most senior person on the wing.

  ‘Regan, Stafford’s informed us of what’s happened, so I’ve organized a double cell for you two … I’m sure you have a lot of catching up to do.’

  He couldn’t comprehend how the man must have coped for the last ten years, believing his son was dead.

  Mike nodded. ‘Nice one, Gov. Cheers, mate. And can I ask another favour? I’ve got VOs on the gate. Can I add another one?’

  Crayford nodded. ‘Yeah, no worries. I’ll sort that out for you.’ He looked Ricky over. ‘You know, my son’s your age.’

  The minute Mike and Ricky were alone, Mike told him to stay in his sight and never to leave his side.

  ‘Dad, I’ve no intention of doing anything else. I prayed every night for you to come and find me, and now you have! So, well, I ain’t going anywhere.’

  Mike felt ready to cry every time he looked into his son’s eyes. All those years, all that pain, and now he had him back. Nevertheless, he wouldn’t forget, and he wouldn’t let it go. Eventually, he would hunt down Jackie and make her life a misery. But for now, he wouldn’t taint the good feeling. Tyrone and Tatum could also wait. He wanted time to catch up and learn everything about his son. But the strange thing was, even though they’d been apart for so many years, they weren’t strangers.

  The news spread like wildfire and Tatum, Tyrone, and Dez kept well away. Tatum was tempted to call Jackie to give her the heads-up, but he sensed that his every move was being watched.

  Unexpectedly, once Ricky and Mike had gathered their things and moved into their new cell, Crayford arrived. ‘Sorry to interrupt but you need to fill out the forms and meet your brief. I’ve slotted you in for this morning, so you’ll be done by one’ clock, in time for your visit.’

  * * *

  Willie stayed with Ricky while Mike was being briefed by his lawyer. The lads had strict instructions not to let Ricky out of their sight. Staffie, a regular gym user, offered to show Ricky the ropes. Willie followed, but he wasn’t one for lifting weights. Lou joined them as well because he’d just had a row with his missus and wanted to vent his anger. The gym was basic: there were a few crash mats, two sets of weights, three punchbags, and two treadmills.

  ‘Go on then, son. Let’s see what you’re made of,’ laughed Willie, as he patted Ricky’s back.

  Never having been inside a gym before, Ricky looked around, unsure what to try first.

  Staffie, however, was gripping the heavy punchbag that hung from the wall. ‘Over ’ere, Ricky. Give us a few right hooks.’

  With a chuckle, Ricky hung his head, slightly embarrassed. ‘I’ve never boxed.’

  ‘Well, there’s no time like the present. Give us all you’ve got, and if you’re anything like ya father, this punchbag will be bouncing around the room.’

  Ricky loved to hear them talk about his father. It made him so proud. Then he had a thought: he wanted to make his father proud as well. Standing with his legs slightly apart, he pulled his fist back and punched the bag. It moved Staffie half a step back but nothing major happened.

  ‘Ricky, come on, lad. There’s more in ya than that.’

  Ricky grinned. The truth was he never knew what he had in him. He knew he could lift a fridge up into the air and onto a truck unaided. His thoughts flashed to that sad moment in his life. He remembered being so cold. It was the day before it snowed, and his fingers were like blocks of ice. He’d been passed a safe made from lead, which needed the combined strength of Tatum and Tyrone, and he’d very nearly dropped it. But with one fluid movement, he threw the safe into the back of the truck, only to find one of his fingers had twisted out of shape, and the pain ripped through him. When he showed Tatum his bent forefinger, Tatum grabbed it and tried to twist it back into position. He screamed out in pain and was cracked around the head for making a noise that could have had them captured.

  Just as that memory diminished, there, in the doorway of the gym, stood Tatum, with his son behind him. Tatum didn’t spot Ricky right away because he was partially hidden behind the huge punchbag.

  Ricky’s vision of the past and the sudden feeling that he wasn’t afraid of Tatum or his son anymore pushed him to act. With his confidence at an all-time peak, he looked at Staffie and winked. Glancing over at Tatum, Ricky whispered to Staffie, ‘I have another punchbag, thank you.’

  Willie was leaning against the wall, rolling a fag, when he spotted the two gypsies as they strolled in. Then he clocked the look on Ricky’s face. As soon as Tatum saw Ricky, he turned to leave, followed by Tyrone, but Willie sidestepped and blocked the doorway.

  ‘I don’t want no trouble!’ pleaded Tatum, with his hands up.

  Tyrone was virtually shitting himself. He knew what he’d done to the boy. All those years of belittling him and bullying him were now coming home to roost, big style. He and his father were surrounded by real men, who would fuck them over in a New York minute. With his legs wobbling like tits on a belly dancer, he could feel his heart racing nineteen to the dozen.

  Willie sniggered. ‘No trouble, mate. Go on, you can use the gym. I’ll tell ya what. Why don’t you spar with young Ricky here? Ya know, show him how it’s done, like.’

  Tatum slowly turned to see the cocky look embedded on Ricky’s face; it was not an expression he could ever recall seeing. Ricky was always the nervous skivvy, walking with his head down and his heavy mop of hair hiding his eyes. Not now, though; the kid was upright, with his shoulders back, sporting a daring look.

  ‘Nah, nah, I’m all right, I was just gonna do a few press-ups.’

  Willie grabbed his arm. ‘Maybe ya didn’t get my drift, did ya? The boy wants to spar, and so do you. Now fucking get over there.’

  Tatum was forcefully shoved over to Ricky. Tyrone tried subtly to squeeze past Willie, but he had no chance. Willie snatched his hair. ‘No, sunshine, you’re gonna wait here, ya fucking little prick.’

  Staffie and Lou stepped back ready because if Tatum landed a nasty punch then they’d poleaxe him. But it was written all over Ricky’s face that he was going to give the gypsy a good pasting.

  ‘Ahh, come on, Ricky, you ain’t into fighting. I don’t wanna hurt yer, boy …’

  Tatum’s arrogant words ripped through Ricky like a hot knife through butter. He took a deep breath, ready to make a move, but Tatum got in first with a blow to Ricky’s stomach. Ricky bent over for a second, but, instantly, he straightened up and grabbed Tatum by the hair and dragged him to the floor, where he pulled his fist back and gave the man two cheek-cracking blows. ‘
Take that, you bastard!’ Then, jumping up, he pulled his leg back and kicked Tatum in the face so hard, he knocked him out cold. ‘And that!’

  Ricky went to launch into him again but was pulled away by Staffie. ‘All right, tiger.’

  The sight of Tyrone glaring with his mouth wide open spurred Ricky on. There was unfinished business to be done.

  ‘And you, ya fucking pikey, you’re next,’ screamed Ricky, as he pulled away from Staffie and ran at Tyrone, ramming him into the wall. Fiercely pulling his head back, he head-butted Tyrone so hard that Tyrone’s eyes instantly rolled back and he faltered. But Ricky wasn’t finished. He pulled the lad upright with one hand and with the other he threw a rib-cracking punch that lifted Tyrone off his feet.

  Astonishingly, Tyrone steadied himself and put up his fists; that was a bad move.

  The older men watched in admiration as their young protégé proceeded to launch Tyrone into the air with an uppercut to the chin that would have made Nazir Khan sit up and take notice. Now, Tyrone was out cold as well.

  Staffie stood gobsmacked, Willie laughed, and Lou was rooted to the spot.

  ‘Well, if he ain’t Mikey’s boy, then I don’t know who is,’ said Staffie, easing Ricky away.

  ‘Catch ya breath, boy. Let’s get you out of here. Those two scumbags’ll no doubt grass.’

  Willie spotted the officer who oversaw the gym; he was on his way down the corridor. ‘Get Ricky outta here!’ He looked over at a few men who were using the weights. ‘They started it, yeah?’

  There was a sea of nods; no one was going to argue over a few pikeys who weren’t even liked.

  Staffie and Lou hurried Ricky away. Willie stayed behind, as cool as a glass of iced tea. Johnstone, the senior officer, bowled into the gym and almost jumped when he saw Tatum out cold and Tyrone now recovering but groaning and holding his face. Johnstone looked at Willie. ‘What the fuck happened?’

  ‘Ahh, nothing, Gov. These two pikeys were having a row and it got heated so they bashed the fuck out of each other.’

  Johnstone, an ex-Army screw, frowned. ‘Oh yeah? Really?’

  ‘Ask them,’ said Willie, pointing to a few of the onlookers.

  Johnstone watched as they each in turn nodded. He rolled his eyes. ‘Clear the gym and get back to your cells.’

  Willie left with a smile on his face and pride in his heart. Ricky was a Regan, through and through.

  * * *

  The news reached Mike as soon as he returned to the wing. He tore along the landing to his cell, to find his son and the lads talking over the event.

  As soon as he stood in the doorway, he bellowed, ‘I fucking told you lot to keep an eye out for me boy. Now I’ve just been told he’s had a punch-up with Tit and Tat.’

  Staffie was still grinning from ear-to-ear. ‘Mikey, we didn’t let him out of our sight. We were all there. Nobody would have hurt him. Anyway, ya boy’s your fucking double. I reckon it would have taken the three of us to hold him back. He’s like you, Mikey, just like you. The boy can fucking handle himself.’

  Mike looked at the smile on his son’s face. Ricky wasn’t jumping up and down showing off; he sat there controlled and calm.

  ‘It’s okay, Dad. It’s just something I needed to do. They deserved it. I didn’t do it for no reason.’

  Mike sat on the bed next to his son and ruffled his hair. He recognized there was quite a lot of himself in the boy. ‘I know, Son.’

  * * *

  By the afternoon, Ricky was excited and his true character, which had been constantly suppressed, was showing through. He laughed and had a smile that even his mother had never seen. After he brushed his hair and washed his face, he bounded down the landing behind Mike, ready to meet his grandparents.

  Willie met them by the pool table and put his arm around Ricky. ‘Now listen, boy, your nan will smother you in kisses and leave lippy all over ya face, so take it and smile. I wish I was a fly on the wall just to see their faces. They’re gonna be so chuffed.’

  Ricky grinned. ‘I’ll enjoy every one of ’em. I never thought I’d see any of you again. I’ve never had a hug or a kiss since the day Jackie took me away, so it’s time for playing catch-up.’

  A sudden sadness clouded Willie’s face. It hit home that for most of his life Ricky had been deprived of the love that he’d had in such abundance in his early years.

  He hugged the young lad and kissed the top of his head. ‘Go on, then. Enjoy it, sunshine.’

  * * *

  As Mike and Ricky walked into the visiting room – as father and son – even they could not have predicted the welcome they were about to receive.

  Ricky heard his grandmother shriek, ‘He’s ’ere!’ She didn’t care who heard or what anyone thought, as she jumped from her seat and almost threw herself at her grandson. Just as Willie had predicted, she plastered his face in kisses. ‘Ahh, my baby, look at you.’ She held him away to study him, the tears streaming down her face.

  Arthur was by her side, awaiting his turn. He clutched Ricky’s face, the tears beginning to form. ‘Ahh, kiddo, you’re just like ya old man when he was your age. I would’ve recognized you anywhere.’

  Struggling to get up from her seat, Gilly gripped her walking stick. Gloria hurried back and helped her up. ‘Go on, Gilly, give the boy a hug.’

  Gilly was painfully thin and had shrunk into an old woman. It was a pitiful moment, that made Ricky begin to cry. Very gently, he pulled her into his arms. ‘Ahh, Nanny Gill, are you not well?’

  Gilly couldn’t speak. The lump in her throat was strangling her. She’d let herself completely go. After the news that they believed Ricky was dead, she’d given up caring for herself because she had nothing left to live for. Gloria and Arthur paid regular visits and had ensured her house was refurbished, as instructed by Mike, but she was so depressed she would forget to eat.

  But Gilly’s face instantly changed at seeing her grandson looking at her so affectionately. The truth be told, she’d expected to go to her Maker without ever seeing her adorable Ricky alive again.

  ‘I’m well now, my boy. You’ve made me better just knowing you weren’t d …’ She choked, not able to say the words. ‘Was ya mum good to ya, though?’

  Ricky wanted to say, ‘No, she was a bitch’, but he saw the frailty and fear in Gilly’s eyes and instead he just smiled. ‘Yeah, Nan. I was fine. I just missed you lot.’

  Mike knew then that his son was a special person; he cared for people.

  As he glanced over his mother’s shoulder, he saw Zara and Eric walking towards them. She was dressed in a long-sleeved black shirt and jeans. Right away, he saw that she was thin and her face was gaunt. To him, though, she was still the most beautiful woman alive.

  He was determined not to cry, but the last two days had been so overwhelming, he couldn’t hold it back. With his arms outstretched, he allowed Zara to fall into them. It felt so natural. ‘Oh God, how I missed you,’ he whispered.

  ‘I missed you too, Mikey, so much. But you have to see my arm, before anything, because I completely understand if you can’t bear to look – I can’t even look at it myself.’

  She tried to pull away, but he wasn’t finished with the embrace. ‘I don’t care, Zara. I wasn’t in love with your hand, you know. It was everything else.’ Yet she had to be sure, and she knew when he saw the disfigurement, his expression would cement how he really felt.

  She managed to release Mike’s grip and then rolled up her sleeve. She was silent, as he stared at the remains of what must have been a horrific ordeal. To her surprise and joy, he held her arm, brought it to his mouth and kissed it. She knew then that he meant it.

  So many years inside, Mike had gone over and over the past. He’d realized that his biggest mistake was in marrying Jackie, when all the time he’d still been in love with Zara. He wasn’t going to make another mistake. Although he wasn’t yet divorced, he was determined to pop the question, regardless.

  His voice cracked. ‘Marry me, Zara. I love y
ou, and I want you to be my wife. I don’t have a ring, but when I get out of here, I want to get married.’

  Gloria and Arthur were gripping each other’s hands, waiting for her to say ‘Yes’.

  Zara turned her head to look at Mike’s son, almost as if she was asking his permission. With his eyes round and excited, he nodded for her to say that all-important word.

  ‘Of course, Mikey. You know I’ve wanted nothing more.’

  Ricky jumped up and hugged her, and a strange emotion came over Zara.

  They were a family.

  Eric patted his brother’s back. ‘Congratulations.’ And he meant it. He owed so much to Mike, after he’d dropped him like a hot brick when Mike had needed him the most. Nevertheless, hearing Mike’s proposal to Zara still jarred him and he realized deep down, it was never to be. She was Mike’s.

  As Mike hugged his brother, he whispered, ‘Thank you, Eric. You got her back for me.’

  Eric lowered his head and forced a smile. In his heart, he had helped to get Zara back for himself. Trying to sound upbeat, he replied, ‘It was her brother Ismail who had her locked up, and that Guy Segal and his son, the fat ugly cunt. But I promised I’d send them to you, Mikey. They’re gonna be facing prison. They’re all yours, Bro.’

  ‘And Tracey?’

  Eric looked over at his mother who was fussing over Ricky. ‘Tracey’s dead, Mikey. No one will ever hunt us again. It’s over!’

  ‘No, it’s not over, Eric, trust me on that one. You watch what happens when I get out. Every Jew that worked for the Segals – every pikey that protected Jackie – I will fucking annihilate.’

  Acknowledgements

  Robert Wood for his patience and tireless editing, to make the book the best it can be.

  Deryl Easton for all her sound advice.

  My family for being there for me.

  The NotRights book club for their wonderful support.

  Nia Beynon for believing in me.

  Turn the page for an extract from Deceit by Kerry Barnes …